Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-30

would say in re Omaha purchase of
September 18th, is there any reason
why the old man should put things
like that up to me? Is he some sort
through the skylight and tell me when
and where and how to ind my wife 7"
She glanced up and remarked the
embarrassment in his look.
Strike out everything after 'pur-
chase Of September 12th." he COM
bled forehead.
Ethel" he resumed impulsively. II
was , talking =. to YOU"
You seem to be the only person in
the world I can talk to with a reason
opened his cigarette case. chose. light
ed. inhaled, snapped the clasp. Il
think the boss has gone little crazy.
he declared. But I'm awfully sorry
for him. Only it's so hard for an old
man to understand a young one"
Ethel looked down at her work. I'M
easy because she knew that this poor
soul was again turning her into his
sister confessor-
You know. Ethel" Wiifred went on
about my marrying and setting up
an establishment Nobody can say I
haven't been a pretty obedient son.
I'm q bit of. a man about town, you
know-no angel Of light. But I've
been scouting among the pdppins. and
actress-yery easy to look at, and
think she sort Of cottons to me.
was Just on the point Of asking her
DO you think you ought to tell all
this to me?" she asked. closely re-
garding his puzzled. amiable face.
who the devil else can I talk tor
he complained, reddening-
You were just on the point Of ask
ing her
"And some time this week the boss
got on that / was smiling in that di-
rection. He's been sore as a crab ever
ldoing-wouldn't give any reason I'M
der the sun. That's what he called me
in about this morning"
And he gave you reason"
Ethers curiosity was now piQued
beyond her scruples.
1T was pretty good reason, too"
admitted Wilfred. again rubbing his
I forehead in that helpless way Of his.
The old man never told me about
| himself before. But this morning he
loosened up. BY George. how he
loosened up. You see. my mother was
his second wife-I never knew that
before. He told me his whole history
\ from the Apple of Discord to the Fall
| Of Troy I'm sorry for the boss-but
j why is ne taking it out on meT"
l
, sat back and permitted him to think.
She studied him out of the corner of
her eye. He was not even good look
| ing. Possibly. had he been blessed
/ with normal health, he might have
presented something Of the viriie.
| rugged front which made his father
magnetic. Then she sensed q fright
| ened. unpleasant thrill. This strange
| boy had taken a fancy to her! The
! sight Of him sitting there barring his
| secret shrine annoyed her. increased
her disgust Of his weakness.
| Fathers first marriage" he sud-
denly took up the theme. was a
pretty mess. He was a wild man, just
Off the range. spectacularly rich and
] squandering his money the way cat
| splendid family, trained to like ex-
pensive things. The old man didn't say
| so, but l guess she married him for
his money. They had a fine time for
/ about two years. Then the silver
cloud broke. and 1t began raining hard
start something about then-he's a
| gambler at heart. and there have
been times when he couldn't let well
enough alone. One morning he walk
ed into her room and said: Susie. the
banks broke. II you'll take 1t like a
sportsman. we can go back to the cow
country and get another stake. But
it means general sell"out-horses
jewelry, houses. everything-and
we've got to go live on bunch grass
for while
THE boss thought this would be
simple enough. and 1t would have
been, II Susie had stuck. But she
raised an awful noise and insisted or
going back to mother-and taking al
her valuables with her. He had put
good deal of money in her name
and she got IL out of the way so tina,
neither he nor his creditors coulG
touch it."
"She was a short sport" remarked