Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1922-01-12
Ole
. ORIOLE


required no particular gift of prophecy
to hazard the prediction that in all
probability a most unpleasant form of
inquisition awaited Herbert on his re-
turn to his home. And Henry R0oter
had the wisdom (and experience) OF
thirteen.
You better not,' he said, wisely.
Honest, you better not, Herbert!
"WelI, we got apple dumplings for
dinner" Herbert said, his tone show
ing the strain of mental uncertainty.
Eliza told me this morning we were
gOin' to have 'em. l kind of hate TO
go, but guess l better, Henry"
"You won't see any apple dump
lings," Henry predicted.
"Well, l believe 1 better try it.
Henry"
you better come home with me.
My father and mother'H be perfectly
willing to have you"
Il know that" said Herbert. But
1 guess l better go home and try it.
anyhow, Henry. I didn't have any
thing to do with what's in the Oriole.
It's every last word ole Florence's do
ing. l haven't got any more right to
be picked on for that than a child"
"Yes," Henry admitted. But if you
go and tell 'em so, bet she'd get even
with you some way that would prob
ably get me in trouble, too, before we
got through with the job. l wouldn't
tell 'em if 1 was you, Herbert!"
'Well, 1 wasn't intending to-" Her
bert responded gloomily; and the
thought of each, unknown to the other,
was the same, consisting of symbolic
| likeness of Wallie Torbin at his
worst. 81 ought to tell on Florence;
by rights l ought" said Herbert; "but
I've decided l won't. There's no tellin'
what she wouldn't do. Not that she
could do anything to me, particularly
"Nor me, either" his friend inter-
posed hurriedly. Il don't worry about
| anything like that! Still, if 1 was you
wouldn't tell. She's only a girl, we
got to remember"
Yes" said Herbert. That's the
way l look at it, Henry; and the way
1 look at it is just simply this: long
asls she's a girl, why, simply let her go.
You can't tell what she'd do, and so
what's the use to so and tell on
girl?"
''Thats the way look at it" Henry
agreed. "What's the use? If 1 was
in your place, I'd act just the same
way you do"
"Well," said Herbert, II guess 1
better go on home Henry. It's a
good while after dark"
You're maxim a big mistake !"
Henry Rooter called after him. You
won't see any apple dumplings. bet
a hundred dollars! You better come
on home with me-"
And Herbert no more than half
opened his front door before he per-
ceived that his friends advice had
been excellent. So clearly Herbert
perceived this, that he impulsively de-
cided not to open the door any far
ther, but on the contrary to close it.
and retire; and he would have done
so. had not his mother reached forth
and detained him. She was. in fact,
Just inside that door, in the hall with
one of his great-auntS, one of his
aunts, two aunts-by-marriage and an
elderly unmarried cousin, who were
all just on the point of leaving How
ever they changed their minds and
decided to remain, now that Herbert
was among them.
1t really seemed that to many per-
sons who were gathered there, appar-
emily in important consultation, his
appearance was distinctly welcome.
His own feelings were in nowise
mixed. They were distinctly appre-
hensive, and the volley of mingled
questiOnings and reproaches which
met him did not tend to remove them.
Each member of the party seemed to
feel in some manner particularly az
grieved.
Herbert's father Joined them, few
minutes later, but it had already be-
! come clear to the son that the North
End Daily OriOIe was in one sense a
thing of the past, though in another
sense this former owner and proprie-
tor was certain that he would never
hear the Iasi of it. However, on ac-
count of the life of blackmail and
slavery now led by the members of
the old regilur. the Orioles extinction
was far less !,ainful to Herbert than
his father Supposed; and the latter
wasted a great deal of severity, in
sisting that the printing press should
be returned That very night to Uncle
Joseph. Her prt's heartiest retrospect
tive wish WAS that the ole printing
press had been returned to Uncle Jo-
seph long ago.
''If you car find him to give it TOT"
Aunt Harriet suggested. Nobody
knows wher" he goes when he gets
the way he did this afternoon when
we were discussing it all with him.
l only hope lp'll be back tonight %
"He can't say away forever" Aunt
Fanny remarked. THAT garage is
charging him i've dollars an hour for
the automobile he's in, and surely even
Joseph will decide there's a limit to
wildness some time!"
81 don't care when he comes back"
Herbert'S father declared grimly
whenever he does he's got to take
that printing press back-and Herbert