Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-25
ATTY ARIA
~
Adele Garrison's
New Phase off,.
TIONS
OF WIFE
The Way Katie Solved the Picture
Prnh,am

T5UEi5lH
IF any one had told me that the sight
81 my small son running confidently to
| meet ME would ever be an unWclcome
SIGHT, | would have laughed scornfIlly.
! But when he trotted into the living
| room where ! vas %parrying the ques-
| tons Of the reporters concerning
| Dicky's ~escapade, carrying in his tiny
hands the torn photograph of Claire
Foster which WAS 80 anxious to Keep
from them, | had but II obscessing
thought, how most quickly and unob-
trusiyely to get him out of the room
again.
Mama mend piesher for Dooner-"
he reiterated, and | realized with dis
may that he was holding the torn
| pieces face upward. and that ! could
distinctly see the inscription upon it.
But | had read it before. and my only
hope lay in the difficulty Of Claire
Fosters. spraying chirography TO one
unfamiliar with it. ! must get the pho
tograph away from him, unobtrusiyely.
with no apparent desire to hide it. but
as speedily as possible.
Yes, Mother will mend it." said
with careless indulgence. Bring it
here | turned to the reporters with
q banal attempt at righteousness. 81
sometimes think my son is destined
for the career Of a junk man, for he is
perpetually bringing me torn things to
mend"
A sharp little cry from Junior, and
the sound Of a fall interrupted me. !
turned to find him sprawIing on the
floor. unhurt. but with the fragments
of the photograph strewn upon the
ground. And beside him, STOPPING over
him, raising him to his feet was the
IF f.-,Yn If NJ INIa,arl
Smythe.
An Unexpected Interruption
| knew as well as if | had seen him
do it, that in some f~urtive, cunning
manner that young man had triQped the
little chap, and that in another second
or two, under p%retense of returning
The torn photograph. he would have
seen it and the bizarre inscription upon
| it. | knew only too well that his YER
sion of the incident would be in print
were he permitted to write it-that he
would depict me as having torn the
photograph and thrown it away in q
rage. He would even bring my baby
boy and his finding of the fragments
| into the story.
If [ rushed to the picture instead of
going directly to my baby | might as
well advertise the fact that it was
something / did not wish seen. The
thing seemed hopeless from their an
gle, and my feet seemed leaden as they
advanced toward my little lad, who was
already laughing back his tears in his
adoraply game fashion.
That's the brave little man. young
Mr.. Sfnythe said fulsomely as he set
Junior on his feet, and hen hastily
stopped toward the picture fragments
And here are
He never finished the sentence
Something which must have seened tc
him all flashing eyes, flying hair anc
whirlwind arms, but which dArecognizec
as Katie, pushed him to H. sid sc
the polished floor.
"Please Pardon"
you old bunch of soup g~reens!' she
shrilled, 'you trip COP my babee,
feex you. COON babee, to Kate
She feex your picher."
With incredible swiftness and deft
ness she gathered up the pieces Of pho
tograph with her left hand. lifted Jun
ior With her strong right arm, ant
bore him triumphantly out of the room
AZ she disappeared, Lillian %strollee
n~egligently through the door, and
realized whose was the quick WI
which had sent Katie into the room
with her program of devastation fol
young Mr.. Smythe. =.
, With a look of ma~levolence in hi:
ferret eyes. that youth was scramblint
to his feet. / caught a quick, flash
ing look between Miss Cargill and Mr.
Rickett. and guessed that they were
| not deeply grieved over the predica
ment of their colleague. But I alst
knew that their keen eyes and traines
: perceptions had not missed the mean
, ing Of the picture incident, and I cas-
j about for something with which tx
: ward off possible questions concern
!. ing it, or at least to gain time t,
t think an answer out.
I felt about as much like apologiz