The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-12-22

at a cost of two dollars and twenty
five cents. or nine annual subscrip
tions to the Oriole out of a present
total of thirty-two. What he wished
Henry to believe was that for som
rood reason, which Herbert had no
yet been able TO invent, it would be
better to show Florence a little po
likeness. He had a 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-
tafis of his answer in 'Truth" TO come
70 his partners knowledge. Henry
Rooter wa 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, it was in a 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; l thought I wouldn't
start in work till you got here. I didn't
want to hat to come all the way
downstairs again to open the door
and hist our good ole plank up
again.
IT see said Henry. CHANGING ner
vously at their good ole plank. swell,
| guess Florence'il never get in this
good ole door-that is, if we don't
let her, or something
This final clause would have sur
prised Herbert if he had been less pre-
occupied with his troubles. you bet
she won'ti" he said mechanically.
"She couldn't ever get in here again
if the family didn't go intafering
around and give me the dickens and
everything, because they think-they
say they do, anyhow-they say they
think-they think
He paused. Disgusting a little choke
as a cough Of scorn for the family's
thinking.
"Whas did you say your family
think?' Henry asked absently.
well, they say we ought to let her
have a share in our newspaper"
Again he paused, afraid to continue
lest his hypocrisy appear so barefaced
as to lead toward suspicion and dis
covery. well, maybe we ought" he
said, his eyes guiltily upon his toe,
which slowly scuffed the ground. Il
say we ought, and l don't say
we oughtn't."
He expected at least a burst of out
ragged protest from his partner. who,
IN the contrary. pleasantly astonished
him. "Well, that's the way l look at
t." Henry said. 4 don't say we ought,
don't say we o%ughtn't."
And he, likewise, stared at the toe
If his own right shoe, which was also
the ground. Herbert felt a
little better; this subdivision of his
seemed to be working out
With surprising ease.
81 don't say we will and l don't
ay we won't" Henry added. That's
he way I look at it, My father and
mother are always talkin' TO me how
got to be polite and everything, and
guess maybe it's time l began to |
some 'tention to what they say.
you don't have your father and moth
r for always, you know, Herbert" !
Herbert's mood at once chimed with
his unprecedented flial melancholy. I
No, you don't, Henry. That's what {
often think about, myself. No, sir, ,
fellow doesn't have his father and I
to advise him our whole life, !,
you ought to do a good deal what ]
hey say while they're still alive :
That's what l say" Henry agreed
loomily; and then, without any al I
of his tone or of the detected 8
houghtfulness of his altitude, he !
hanged the subject in a way that \
ainfully startled his companion.
Have you seen Wallie TOrbin today. I
ferbert?" G
"What!" ]
'Have you seen Waffle Torbin to- (
ay?' =,
Herbert swallowed. "Why, what >
lakes-what makes you ask me that, {
he asked. I
"Oh. n0thin'." Henry still kept his (
yes upon his glOomily scuffing toe. I
| Just wondered, because | didn't G
appen to see him in school this after ]
Don when l happened to look in the {
of the Eight-A when it was open. :
didn't want TO know on account Of q
.ything particular. I just happened :
I, say that because | didn't have any
hing else to think about just then. so Z
just happened to think about him, 9
Re way you do when you haven't got \
nything much on your mind, and \
light get to thinkin' about you can't 7
what. That's all the way it was: 4
Just happened to kind of wonder If g
e was around anywhere, maybe" J
Henry's tone was obviously, eve {
.A- . q