The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1921-10-07
Continued from page two)

'maybe'-wel. maybe I'll tell you
some day when feel like It,"
She ran up the path. up the steps,
and crossed the veranda hut paused
before opening the door Then she
called back to the waiting Herbert.
1.-THE only person I'd even think Of
telling about it before tell you would
be a boy I know" She coughed, and
added as by an after-thought. He'd
Just love to know all about it; know
he would. So, when l tell anybody
about it I'll only tell just you and this
other boy"
"What other boy7" Herbert de-
manded.
And her reply, thrilling through the
darkness, left him paralytic with hor
ror. "Wallie Torbin -
The next afternoon, about four
O'clock Herbert stood gloOmily at the
main entrance Of Atwater & Rooters
newspaper building, awaiting his part
ner The other entrances were not
only nailed fast, but massively bar
ricaded; and this one Consisting OF
the ancient carriage-house doors, open
ing upon driveway through the
yard) had recently been made effec-
tive as an instrument Of exclusion.
A long and heavy plank leaned against
the wall, near by, ready to be set In
hook shaped iron supports fastened to
the inner sides of the doors; and
when the doors were closed. with this
great plank in place, a person inside
the building might seem entitled to
count upon the enjoyment of privacy,
except in case of earthquake, tornado,
or fire. In fact, the size of the plank
| and the substantial quality of the iron
| fastenings. could be looked upon,
| from a certain viewpoint, as heart
| felt compliment to the energy and per-
sistence of Florence Atwater.
Herbert had been in no compli-
| mentary frame of mind, however,
when he devised the Instructions, nor
was he now in such a frame of mind.
He was deeply pessimistic in regard
| to his future, and also embarrassed In
anticipation of some explanations IT
would be necessary to make to MS
partner. He strongly hoped that
Henrys regular after-school appear
ance at the newspaper building would
precede Florences, because these eX-
plantations required both dellberaton
and tact. and he was convinced that
it would be almost impossible to make
them at all If Florence got there first.
He understood that he was unfOr-
tunately within her power; and he
saw that 1t would be dangerous to
place in operation for her exclusion
from the building this new mechanism
contrived with such hopeful care, and
| at q cost Of two dollars and twenty
five cents, or nine annual subscrip-
| lions to the OriOle out of present
total Of thirty-twO. What he wished
Henry to believe was that for some
good reason, which Herbert had not
better to show Florence a little pO-
lteness He had desperate hope
that he might find some diplomatic
way to prevail on Henry to be as sub
servient to Florence as she had
seemed to demand. and he was deter
mined to touch any extremity Of IN
veracity rather than permit the de-
tails Of his answer in Truth" to come
to his partners knowledge. Henry
Rooter was not Wallie Torbin but in
possession Of material such as this
) he could easily make himself intOler-
able. Here was a strange human
thing, strange yet common to most
minds brooding in fear Of publicity.
! We seldom realize that the people
whose derision we fear may have been
as imprudent as we have been.
! Therefore, 1t was in fiurried state
Of mind that Herbert waited; and
when his friend appeared. over the
fence, his perturbation was not de-
creased He even failed to notice the
unusual gravity Of Henry's manner.
Hello. Henry: thought I wouldn't
start in work till you got here. didn't
want to hat to come all the way
downstairs again to open the door
and hist our good ole plank up
ngain."
II see." said Henry. glancins nor
vously at their good ole plank. swell,
guess FlorenceM never get in this
good ole door-that is II we don't
let her, or something"
This Anal clause would have sur
prised Herbert II he had been less pre-
occupied with his troubles. you bet
she won't!" he said mechanically.
"She couldn't ever get in here again
If the family didn't 60 intafering
around and give me the dickens and
!. ! pypryfhinQ hocanso they fhink-fhay