The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1921-12-02

HuiuItu HIlltS lIUIH mere. ! uVu SEC
just how we couIu have heard his
name-unless he visited here. or got
into the papers in some way"
Mrs. Atwater seemed unwilling to
yield a.mySterious point. She rocked
decoronSiy in her chair, shook her
head. and after setting her lips rigid
~. opened them to insist that she could
never change her mind: Julia had
acted very abruptly. why couldn't
she have let her poor father know, at
least a few days before she did?'
Mr.. Atwatcr sighed. "Why. she ex-
plains in her letter that she only
knew it, herself. an hour before she
wrote"
Her poor rather!' his wife repeat
ed comniseratingly.
"Why. Mollie. l don't see that faith
er's especially to be pitied."
Don't yun:' said Mrs. Atwater.
THAT old man. to have to live In that
big house all alone, except a few ne
gro ~servants?"
why. no! About half the houses
in the neighborhOod. up and down the
street, are fully occupied by close sela-
tives of his I doubt if he'll be really
rs lonely as he'd like to he. And he's
often said he'd give a great deal IL
Julia had been a plain. unpopular girl.
I'm strongly of the opinion. myself,
that he'll be pleased about this. or
course II may upset him u little, just
at first"
Yes; l think 1t will I" Mrs. At
water shook her head forebodingly.
And he isn't the only n It's going
to upset"
NO. he isn't" her husband admit.
ted, seriously. That's always been
bear TO seem disappointing: and so, Of
course. | suppose every one of 'em hal
4 special idea that he was really about
the top of the list with her."
"Every last n Of 'em was positive
of it," said Mrs. Atwater. THAT was
Julia's way with 'em!"
Yes. Julia's always been much too
kind-hearted for other peoples good"
Thus Mr.. Atwater summed up-and
he was this Julia's brother. Addition
ally, since he was the older, he had
known her since her birth.
IF you ask me-" said his wife. "Ill
really be surprised if it all goes
through without a suicide"
"Oh. not quite suicide, perhaps" Mr..
| Atwater protested. I'm glad it's 4
dry state, though !"
She failed to fathom his simple
meaning. WHY
We'll, some of 'em might feel that
desperate at least" he explained.
"Prohibition's a safeguard for the dis
appointed in love"
This phrase and a previous one
stirred Florence. who had been sitting
quietly, according to request, and
"resting": but not resting her curl
osity. who's disappointed in love,
papa she inquired with an explosive
eagerness which slightly startled her
preoccupied parents. What is all this
about Aunt Julia. and Grandpa goin'
to live alone. and people committing
suicide and prohibition and every
thing? What is all this, mama"
Nothing, Florence
Nothing, That's what you always
say about the very most interesting
things that happen in the whole fam
lily! What is all This. papa?"
ITS nothing that would be inter-
esting to little girls, Florence. Mere
ly some family matters"
MY goodness ~ Florence exclaimed.
TIN not a little girl any more. papa !!
You're always forgetting my age! And
if it's n family matter | belong to the
family. | guess, about as much as any
body else. don't l? Grandpa himself
isn't any more one of the family than
l am. | don't care low old he is"
This was undeniable. and her father
laughed. ITS really nothing you'd
care about one way or the other he
said.
cret," Florence insisted. If its a Sc
cret I'd want to know it whatever it's
about"
ooh. it isn't a secret. particularly,
| suppose. At least. it's not to be
made public for a time: it's only to
be known in the family"
well, didn't l just prove I'm as
much one q the family AS
Never mind" her father said sooth-
ingly. Il don't suppose there's any
harm in your knowing tiff you won't
90 telling everybody. Your aunt Julia
has just written us that she's en-
gagged"
Mrs. Atwater uttered an exclama-
ton, but she was too late to check
him.
whats the matter?' he asked.
I'm afraid you Oughtn't to have
told Florence. She isn't just the mos
Discreet"
"Pshaw!" he laughed. "She certain
ly is one of the family, however. and
Julia wrot that all Of the family
might be told. You'll not speak of it
outside the family. will you. Flor
ence?"