The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-02-12
THIRTEEN

was strange human tnlnB' hIon6S 80
common to most minds brooding Ia fear
Of publicity. We seldom realize tnsse
the people whose derision we fear may
have been as imprudent as "e nav
been. -,
of mind that Herbert waited; ana Wnssa
his friend appeared, over tne IenS7 n.
perturbation was not oecEeaSeo.
even failed to notice The usua' s'@'tey
Of "H Henryi Ar mag9efi thought wouldn
start in work until you got mere.
didn't want TO hat to come all tho way
downstairs again 10 open the door Aae
hist our good ole plank up gam. ~
Il see" said Henry. glancing Iier.S
vously at their good ole plank. wen,
l guess Florcncell never get In TINS
good ole door-that Is, II we oont !se
her. or something"
This fine clause would have surprised
Herbert If he had Deen less pre-occus
pied with his troubles. You bet 1h4
WON'T" he said mechanically. "Sha
couldn't ever get in here aS4ih-lt tns
family didn't 80 interfering anr give me
the dickens and e'erythins' necaus
they think-they say they do. anyhow.
they say they think-they think 20
lie paused, Disgusting little choke
as cough Of scorn for the family
thinking. al
What did you say your family
Think Henry asked absently.
We'll, they say We ought to let her
have IL share in our newspaper. ASaD
he paused, afraid to continue lest mn
hypocrisy appear so barefaced as to lea4
toward suspicion and discovery. "Welh
maybe We ought" he said. his eyes
guiItily upon his toe. which slowly,
scufied the ground. Il don't say we
ought, and l don't say We oughtn't."
lie expected ut the least burst OF
outraged protest from his partner, VINO.
on the contrary, pleasantly astonlsneu
him, We'll, that's the way l look at 1t,
Henry said. Il don't say we ought and
| don't say we oughtnt."
And he, likewise. stared at the toe OF
his own right shoe. which was alSu
SQUIRTING the ground. Herbert felt Q lnu
tie better; This subdivision OF his dirt
culties seemed to be working out With
surprising ease. m
we won't" Henry added. That's thu.
way l look at it. Ny father and mothors
are always talkin' to me; how got to.
be- polite and everything, and guess
'tention to what they say. You don't
have your father and mother for Al.
ways, you know, Herbert" o.
this HeFSsT5s @HGS g. a
mo you don't. Henry. That's what j.
often think about myself. No. SIR, fet.,
low doesn't have his father and mother
to advise him our whole life, and ycH
OuSHI u w q 6OOO 0Ca1 WAAoS ivy ~
while they're still alive"
"Thats wnat say" Henry agreed
gloomily; and then. without any altera,
ton Of his tone or Of the de1ects4
changed the subject in way that paid;
fully startled his companion. Have yoa
seen Wallie Torbin today, HERBERT? =
Have you seen wallls Torbin u
day."
makes-what makes you ask me thai
Henry?" he asked. -, y.
"Oh, nothin." Henry still kept his
eyes upon his gloomily scuffing toe, II
to see him in school this afternoon
when I happened to look In the door
Of the Eight-A when 1t was open. I
didn't want to know on account of anya
thing particular. l just happened to say
that because I didn't have anything else
to think about Just then. so just hap
pened to think about him, the way yoY
do when you haven't got anything much
on your mind and might get to thinkin'
about you can't tell what. That's all
the way 1t was; I ust happened to kind
of wonder If he was around anywhere,.
maybe"
Henry's tone was obviously, even elat.
orately: sincere; and Herbert was, re.
assured. We'll. I didn't see him" he
responded. Maybe he's sick"
NO, he isn't his friend said. Flor
ence said she saw him chasin' his dog
down the street about noon"
At this Herbert,s uneas!ness was IN.
Where'd you see Florence?" -
Mr.. Rooter swallowed. "A little while
| ago." he said. and again swallowed. ON
the way home from school" -
'Look-look here!" Herbert was flun.
rted to the point Of panic: "Henry-dld'
Florence-did she go and tall you-did
she tell you-?" ~,
Il didn't hardly notice what she waI
talkin' about" Henry said, doxgedly.
I'd ever care two cents about. She.
came up behind me and walked along
with me 4 ways, but got too many
things on my mind to hardly pay the
least attention to anything. she eres
talks about. She's a girl what I think
about her the less people pay any ten.
ton to what she says. the better off
they are
That's the way with me. Henry" HID
partner assured him earnestly. "Itneyer
way 1 figure 1t about her, Henry. every
body'd be a good deal better off II not
body ever paid the least notice to any.
thing she says. l never even notics
Il don't. either" said Henry. ".All +
think about is what my father and.
mother say, because I'm not gotn' to
have their advice all tho rest o my Life,
a1ter They're ueao. II Iney W1oI uto
all there is about it"
It's the same way with me, Henry.
II she comes flappin' around here blat;,
tin and blubbin' how she's. goth' %
have somepm to do with our newspa.
per, why, the only reason I'd ever let
her would be because my family say
ought to show more politeness to her
than up to now. I wouldn't do It in :
any other account, Henry"
UNaIfhar xunnh Thnfsa NkA :
to treat her any better. she's got my
father and mother to thank, not me-"
That's the only reason I'd be willing To-
say We better leave the plank down ana
let her in, II she comes around hero lfk0J
We'll" said Herbert, I'm willing. r
don't want to get In trouble with The 4
family"
And they mounted tho stairs to their
editorial. reportortal and PRINTING.
not only preoccupied but apprehensive
Now and then they would give each
other n furtive glance and then seem
to reflect upon their fathers and moth
ers wishes and the troublous state Of.
the times. Florence did not keep them
waiting long, however.
She might have been easier to- bear
had her manner OF arrival been less ~.
sured. She romped up the stairs, came
skipping. across the old floor. swinging
her hat by ribbon. flung open the Eats
in the sacred railing. and fIounced Into
the principal chair immodestly placing
her feet on the table In front Of that
chair. Additionally such was her riot.
Gus livelincss, she affected to light and
meE." she said heartily in voice AZ
sumed to be that Of a tall. powerful
mani don't want to see any loafin'
around here, men. / expect to have Ne