Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-08

ten to give out the rest of the mail.
Here are two
"And I know what both are she
said, glancing at the return directions.
Appeals for small contributions. |
haven't the courage to open them now.
My checking account is too low. III
just glance Over the papers instead. !
trust your mail is more Interesting.
A Tense Question
II haven't any," / said, but / must
distribute the rest of these. Mother
Graham would be tearing her hair if
/ took my mother-in-law's letters to
her room, and was delighted to find
that she was not there, for [ was in
no mood to talk TO her. Laying them
on the table, | went down the hall to
my fathers room and tapped gently.
There was no response from within,
but from the half-open door of the
guest room adjoining where We had
e~nsconced Tom Chester, his voice
called softly:
rs that you. Daughter, dear? Can
you come in here?"
With his letters in my hands. I en-
tered the room to find my father en-
gagged in giving a draught of
thing which ] guessed to be medicine
TO the boy in bed. And when he had
put Tom Chester's head back upon the
pillow, the boys white face and twitch-
ing lips told of the suffering that was
his.
Your mail, Father ] said brief
ly, laying the letters upon the table,
and going to the side of the bed in
answer to the unmistakable appeal in
Tom Chester's strained eyes.
Il am afraid you are suffering" l
said pityingly.
Never mind that" The answer
was a hoarse whisper. and his hand
went out feebly to catch one of mine
t~ensely. but | must know. Are you
hurt anywhere? | cannot reme<ber
but I know I fell, and you went in
my place, and then they brought me
here. / thought | heard somebody say
something about your face. What was
it?"
] realized that if he was not actually
delirious he was on the border line of
the condition, and | replied as sooth-
ingly as ! could, the while his hand,
hot with fever, cfung cnfldishly to
mine.
Look at my face" I said i%nsistently.
do you see a scratch upon TIT,
indeed. had healed marvellously in the
days following my wild ride c~linging
to the rear of Smiths limousine.
"No-no-I DON'T he said %reliev-
edly.
land | was not hurt in the least"
| continued. Indeed, | never felt
better in my life"-reflecting grimly
that while | was about it I might as
well tell a good one. But | shan't be
very happy if you don't hurry up and
get better
the strained expression gone.
Il can get better now" he said
weakly. 81 couldn't before. Will
will-can-you come to see me some
timest"
"Of course | promised. But I
must go now. Good-by," and I went
out Of the room a bit abruptly, for
the query had been so tense, so visit
full. that it troubled me. ]
Why were things so tangled? | asked
myself rebelliously as / went slowly
down the stairs again. No one but /
knew how | longed for a word from
Dicky, but he apparently had forgotten
that his wife existed, while poor Tom
Chester
AS I went out on the yeranda | saw
Lillian with a newspaper heid out IN
front of her staring at it, in a manne
I never have seen in her but twice.
On both of those occasions she I'M
expectedly had come upon some
astonishing item Of news concering in
innate friends.
THE head of Medusa..' | said gayly.
and at my words | saw her hands
~nervously, another thing at
which I marvelled, for her poise is al
ways bu~llet-proof.
you rubber-soled s%nooper" she
gibed. "If / were a nervous woman /
have hit the ceiling. ! suppose
your mother-in-law is waiting for these
papers. "Ill take them up to her, and
| suppose you'll want to start for
the TIGERS"
She gathered all the newspapers
under her arm. and went so swiftly
into the house that not for a minute
or two did I begin TO realize the
astonishing fact that Lillian, usually
the soul of courtesy. had not'given me
the opportunity to glance at a single
newspaper headline.
Next-What Is Lillian Trying to
Keep From Madge?