Sioux County pioneer., 1922-02-16

writes tnat 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. It 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 it pretty hard
Take It pretty hard!'" she echoed
loudly. There's one Of 'em, at least,
who will Just merely lose his reason y"
Which one?"
Noble DILL"
At this, the slender form Of Flor
ence underwent spasmodic seizure,
In her chair, but as the fit was short,
and also noiseless. 1t passed without
being noticed.
EYES," said Mr.. Atwater, thought
fully. II suppose he will."'
He certainly willv' 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 experi-
ence. She says he doesn't Inherit it !;
Mr. Dill wasn't anything like this
about her. 4 s3.
Mr.. Atwater smiled family. '.Mrs.
Dill wasn't anything like julia" '<l
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 ~ Z
How can Mrs. Din tell him, since
she doesn't know 1t herself?"
"Well-perhaps she ought to know
It, so that she could tell him. Some
body ought to tell him, and It ought
to be done with the greatest tact. It
ought to be broken to him with the
most delicate care and sympathy, or
the kconsequences-e
s'Nobody could foretell the conse-.
quences." her husband interrupted
no matter how tactfully It's broken
to Noble.p 5.i5 81 &.
NO." she said, Il suppose that's
true. | think he's likely to lose his
reason unless It Is done very tactful-
". though" 8 S.
aDo you think we really ought to
tell Mrs. Dill, Moilie7 mean, seri-
ously: Do you7'
For some moments she considered
his question; then aswered, '.No. IT'S
possible we'd be following Christian
course in doing It; but still we're rath-
ser bound not to speak Of 1t outside the
family, and when It does get outside
the family think we'd better not be
the ones responsible especially since
II might easily be traced to us.
think It's usually better to keep out
sof things when there's any doubt . Il
Yes" he said, medftAtfng. II new
ser knew any harm to come of peoples
sticking toSt their own affairs,
Butsas he and his wife became 81
lent for a time, musing In the fire-
Light their daughters special convic-
lions were far from coinciding with
sthelrs although she, likewise. was ST.
.lenta strangeness ID her which they
should have observed. But so fur
were they from q true comprehension
sOf her. they were unaware that she
had more than casual, youne-cou.s
sinly interest Ia Julia Atwater's en-.
.gagement and In those possible CON
sequences 10 Noble DIM, which they
had sketched with some Intentional
exaggeration, and decidedly without
the staggering seriousness attributed
to their pred ictfons 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. 5; s5,3 5ss
On the hpor, near her he'd / where
Patty Fairchild had left her coat and
hat. Florence made her second dis
scoYery Two. small, folded slips Of
paper lay there, dropped sby Miss Fair
child when she put on her coat Ii the
dafkening room. They wers the -