The Holly chieftain., 1921-10-20

writes that all the family can be told,
because she knows the news will leak
out here and there, in confidence, lit
tie by little; so by the time she gets
home they'll all have been through
their first spasms, and after that she
hopes they'll just send her some for
giving flowers and greet her with
manly handclasps-and get ready to
usher at the wedding'
WELL" said Mr. Atwater, I'm
afraid you're right. 1t does seem
rather like Julia to stay away till the
| first of the worst Is over. I'm really
sorry for some of her love-lorners.
! suppose it will get whispered about,
and they'll hear it; and there are
some of the poor things that might
take 1t pretty hard"
+, Take it pretty hard =" she echoed
loudly. There's one of 'em, at least.
who will just merely lose his reason !"
Which One?"
mobile DILL"
AT this, the slender form of Flor
ence underwent spasmodic seizure,
in her chair but as the fit was short,
and also nOiseless, it passed without
being noticed.
Yes" said Mr.. Atwater. thought
| fully. Il suppose he will"
He certainly Will y Mrs. Atwater
declared. Mobiles mother told me
last week that he'd gotten so he
was just as liable to drop fountain
pen in his coffee as a lump of sugar;
and when any one speaks to him he
either doesn't know it. or else jumps
| When he says anything, himself. she
says they can scarcely ever make out
what he's talking about. He was try
ing enough before Julia went away;
but since she's been gone Mrs. Dill
says he's like nothing in her expert
ence. She says he doesn't inherit IT.
| Mr.. Dill wasn't anything like this
about her."
Mr. Atwater smiled family. Mrs.
| Dill wasn't anything Ike Julia"
NO" said his wife 'She was
quite a sensible girl. I'd hate to be
in her place, now, though, when she
tells Noble about this ~
How can Mrs. Dill tell him. since
she doesn't know 1t herself?"
'Well-perhaps she ought 20 know
! IT. so that she could tell him. Some
body ought to tell him, and it ought
to he done with the greatest tact. Ii
ought to be broken to him with the
most delicate care and sympathy, or
the conseHaences-"
"Nobody could foretell the consc-
queDces,T her husband interruptGd-
mo matter how tactfully it's broken
| to Noble"
NO" she said. 81 suppose that's
true think he's likely to lose his
reason unless 1t is done very tactful-
ly. though
"Do you think we really ought to
tell Mrs. Dill, Mollie. mean seri-
ously: Do you?'
| For some moments she considered
his question; then aswered, mo. It's
possible we'd be following Christian
course in doing it: but still we're rath-
er bound not to speak Of II outside the
| family. and when il does get outside
the family think we'd better not be
the ones sponsible--especiaIly since
| it might easily be traced to us. +
think its usually better TO keep out
of things when there's any doubt"
Yes" he said neditating. 81 nev-
cr knew any harm 10 come off peoples
| sticking to their own affairs"
But as he and his wife became ST.
lent for a time. mnsing in the fire
/ light. their daughters special convic
tons We're far from coiIcding with
1 theirs, although she. likewise. was 81
/ Ient--a strangenrsS in her which they
/ should have observed. But so far
! We're Trey from Il true comprehension
OF her. they were unaware that she
| had more than II casual young-cou-
/ SinIy Interest in Julia Atwater's en-
gagement and in those possible con
sequences to Noble Dill, which they
/ had sketched with some intentional
eXnggeration, and decidedly without
the staggering seriousness attributed
to their predictions by their daughter.
| They did not even notice her express
sion when Mr.. Atwater snapped on
The light. in order to read. and she
went quietly out Of the library and up
| 10 her own room.
on the floor. near her bed. where
PATTY Fairchild had left her coat and
hat Florence made her second dis |
covnry. Two small, folded slips of
paper lay there, dropped by Miss Fair.
child when she put on her coat In the |
darkening room. They were the re.
plies to Patty's whispered questions,
in the game on the steps--thc pledged |
Truth, written by Henry Rooter and |
Herbert Atwater on their sacred words |
and honOrs. The infatuated pair had |
either Overestimated Pntty's caution,
or else each had thought she would |
so prize his little missive that she
would treasure It in a tender safety,
perhaps pinned upon her blouse (at
the first opportunity over the heart.
1t ia positively safe to say that neither
of the two veracities would ever have
been set upon paper had Herbert and
Henry any foreshadowing that Patty
might be careless; and the partners
would have been seized with the ut
most horror could they have conceived
the possibility Of their trustful mes.
snges ever falling into the hands of
the relentless creature who now, with
out an instant's honorable hesitation,
unfoided and read them.
"Yes. If ! got TO tell the truth, !