The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-11-30

"oS kuut
breaking 1t to her ADMIRERS"
"Oh. she isn't going to do that!~
shell have to. now" he said. "SheIl
either have to write the news to 'em.
or else tell 'em. face to face, when she
comes home"
"She won't do either"
why, how could she get out Of It ="
Ills wife smiled pityingly. "She
hasn't set a time for coming home,
has she? Don't you know enough OF
Julia's ways to know she'll never In
the world stand up to the muslc7 She
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 1t will get whispered about,
and they'll hear It; and there are
some Of the poor things that might
take 1t pretty hard"
Take 1t pretty hard =" she echoed
loudly. There's one Of 'em. at least,
who will just merely lose his reasonw
(which oner
"Noble Dill"
ence underwent spasmodic seizure,
In her chair, but as the fit was short
and also noiseless, 1t passed without
being noticed.
"Yes," said Mr.. Atwater, thought
fully. II suppose he will"
HE certainly Wilt" Mrs. Atwater
declared. "Noble's mother told me
last week that he'd gotten so he
was just as liable to drop fountain
pen In his coffee as lump Of sugar;
and when any one speaks to him he
either doesn't know 1t, 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 1t;
Mr.. Dill wasn't anything like this
about her"
Mr.. Atwater smiled family. Mrs.
DIN wasn't anything like Julia"
"No," said his wife. "She was
quite 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 herself7'
"Well-perhaps she ought to know
II, so that she could tell him. Some
body ought to tell him, and 1t ought
to be done with the greatest tact. 1t
ought to be broken to him with the
most delicate care and sympathy, or
the consequences"
"Nobody could foretell the conse-
Quences." her husband Interrupted
mo matter how tactfully It's broken
to Noble"
"No." she said. II suppose that's
true. think he's likely to lose his
reason unless 1t Is done very tactful.
~, though"
"Do you think we really ought to
tell Mrs. Dill. Mollie1 mean, seri-
ously: Do your
For some moments she considered
his question; then aswered, mo. It's
possible we'd be following Christian
course In doing 1t; but still we're rath-
er bound not to speak Of 1t outside the
family. and when 1t does get outside
the family I think we'd better not be
the ones responsible-especlally since
1t might easily be traced to us.
think it's usually better to keep out
Of things when there's any doubt
"Yes," he said, meditating. Il new
er knew any harm to come of peoples
sticking to their own affairs"
But as he and his wife became ST.
lent for time, musing In the fire
light, their daughters special convic-
lions were far from colnciding with
theirs, although she, likewise. was 81
lent-a strangeness in her which they
should have observed. But so far
were they from a true comprehension
Of her, they were unaware that she
had more than a casual, young-cou-
sinly interest in Julia Atwater's en-
gagement and In those possible con-
sequences to Noble Dill, which they
had sketched with some intentional
exaggeration, and decidedly without
the staggering seriousness attributed
10 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
to her own room.
On the floor. near her bed, where
Patty Fairchild had left her coat ana
hat, Florence made her second dis-
covery. Two small, folded slips OF
-. .Nor~ AroDpod nv Miss Fair