The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-12-01

a polite interest. How virry consid-
crate of you! Then, perhaps you'l
try to be a gentleman enough for
one simple moment to allow me to tell
you my last remarks on this subject.
I've said enough"
"Oh, have your" Herbert interrupt
ed with violent sarcasm. "Oh, no
Say not sol Florence, say not SOL"
At this, Henry Rooter loudly shout
ed with applausive hilarity; where
upon Herbert, rather surprised at his
own effectiveness, naturally repeated
his mot.
"Say not so, Florencei Say not
sol Say not sol"
"Ill tell you one thingl" his lady
cousin cried, thoroughly Infatuated.
az wish to make just one last simple
remark that / would care to soil my
self with in your respects, Mister Her
bert Illingsworth Atwater and Mister
Henry Rooteri"
"Oh, say not so, Florence" they
both entreated. "Say not sol Say
not SOP
"T1l Just simply state the simple
TRUTH" Florence announced. "ln the
first place you're goin' to live to see
the day when you'll come and beg me
on your bented knees to have me put
poems or anything l want to on your
ole newspaper, but I'll just laugh at
you! 1ndeedT I'll sayl so you
come beggin' around me, do you? Ha,
ha? I'll say guess it's a little too
late for that! Why / wouldn't"
"Oh, say not so, Florencel Say not
sol"
"Me allow you to have one of my
poems? III say, Much less than thatP
Ill say, because even if / was wear
ing the oldest shoes ] got in the world
] wouldn't take the trouble to"
Her conclusion was drowned out.
"Oh, Florence, say not sol Say not
Floreneel Say not sol"
The hateful entreaty still murmured
in her resentful ears that night, as
she fell asleep; and she passed n
the beginnings of a dream with her
lips slightly dimpling the surface of
her pillow in belated repartee. And
upon waking, though it was Sunday,
her first words, half slumbrous in the
silence of the morning, were, "Vfle
thingsf" Her faculties became more
alert, during the preparation of a
toilet which was to serve not only for
breakfast, but with the addition of
a hat, and q blue velvet coat,
for church and Sunday school rs well;
and she planned q hundred ven
geanees. That is to say, her mind
did not occupy itself with plots pos
sibly to make real; rather it dabbled
among those fragmentary visions that
love TO overlap and .displace one an
other In the shifty retina of the minds
eye.
But in all of these pictures, where
prevaiIingly she seemed some sort
IF deathly powerful Queen of Poetry,
he postures assumed by the figures of
Atwater and Rooter (both
n an extremity of rags) were miser-
ably suppliant. So she soothed her
'elf a little-but not long. Herbert In
he next pew in church, and Henry in
he next beyond that, were perfect
compositions In smugness. They were
.old, contented, aristocratie; and had
IN imperturbable understanding be-
themselves-quite perceptible
O the sensitive Florence-tbat she
a nuisance now capably disposed
f by their beautiful discovery of "Say
ot SOL" Florence's feelings were an
ecoming to the place and occasion.
But at four o'clock that afternoon
he was assuaged into a milder con-
ition by the arrival, according to an
greenent made in Sunday school, of
be popular Miss Patty Fairchild.
Patty was thirteen and a half an
xquisite person with g%old-dusted
air, eyes of perfect blue, and an al
iring air OF sweet self-consciousness.
Ienry Rooter and Herbert nlings-
Torth Atwater, Jr., out gathering
ews, saw her entering Florence's
ate, and Immediately forgot that ,
were reporters. They become ST. .
mt and gradually moved toward the /,
ouse of their newspapers sole (,
Florence and Patty occupied them
lives indoors for half an hour; then
ent out into the yard to study a
ole's tunnel that had interested Flor {
ice recently. They followed it across I
Ie lawn at the south side of the '
)use, discussing the habits of mOles /
Id other matters of zoology; and |
lally lost the track near the fence, 1
hich was here the back fence" i
CHER than their heads. Patty looked t
rough a knothole TO see if the tun- i
j was visible in the next yard, but T
thout reporting upon her observa-
ms she turned, as if carelessly, and &
aned back against the fence, cover S
2 the knothOle. "
Florence" she said, in a tone soft t
and l~ovelier than she had been a
ing heretofore Florence, do you n
what l think?' p
No. Gould you see any more tracks a
er there?' d