The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-03-02
PART il-Continued.

AS he grew older, his insatiate Gu
bered weaknesses, indiscretions and
social misfortunes on the part Of ac-
guaiutances and schOolmates and to
every exposure his noise and energy
gave o hideOus publicity; the more
his victim sought privacy the more
persistently he was sought ont by
Wallie, vociferous and attended by
hilarious spectators. But above all
other things, what most stimulated
the demoniac boy to prodigies of sat
ire was any tender episode. or .symp-
tom connected with the dawn of love,
Florence herself had suffered .excru-
ciatirgly at intervals throughout her
eleventh spring, because Wallie dis
covered that George Beck sent her a
valentine; and the humOrist's many,
many squealings Of that valentines
affectiOnate quatrain finally left her
unable to decide which she hated the
more, Wallie or George. That was
the worst of Waffle: he never 'let,
up"; and in Florence's circle there
was no more SOLDERING threat than,
"'rlI tell WalIfe TOrbinl J" As for
Henry Rooter and Herbert Hlings-
worth Atwater, Jr., they would as soon
have had a head-hunter or their trail
as Wallie Torbin with anything in his
hands that could incriminate them
in an Implication of love-Or an &C
acknowledgements Of their own beauty.
The fabric of civilized life Is inter
woven with blackmail even some of
the noblest people do favors for other
people who are depended upon not to
tell somebody something that the no
blest people have done. Blackmail Is
born into us all, and our nurses teach
MS more blackmail by threatening to
tell cur parents, If we won't do this
and that-and nj parents threaten
10 tell the doctor-and so we learn
BIackmail is part of the daily life of
a child displeased, his first resort 10
get his way with other children is a
threat to "tell"; but b~y-and-by his
experience discovers the mutual bene-
fit Of honor among blackmaileTs.
Therefore, at eight 1t Is no longer the
ticker to threaten TO tell the teacher;
end, q little later. threatening to tell
any adult at all is considered some
thing of a breakdown in morals. No
~soriousiy, the code is more liable to
infraction by people Of the physically
weaker sex, for the very reason. Of
course. that their inferiority Of mus
Gle SO frequently compels such a sin,
If they are to have their way. But
for Florence there was now no such
termination. Looking toward the de-
mOlit!on Of Atwater & Rooter. an x
posure before adults Of the results
of Truth" would have been an effect
of the sickliest pal!0r compared to
what might be accomplished by a
careful use of the catastrophe Wallie
Torbin.
All in all, II was a great Sunday
for Florence. On Sunday evening II
was her privileged custom to go to
the house OF her fat, old g~reat-uncle,
Joseph Atwater, and remain until nine
O'Clock, in chatty companionship with
Uncle Joseph and Aunt Carrie. his
wife. and a few other relatives who
were In the habit of dropping in there
on Sunday evenings. In summer.
lemonade and cake were frequently
provided; In the autumn, one still
found cake, and perhaps a pitcher OF
clear new cider; apples were always
o certainty.
This evening was glorious; there
were apples and cider and cake and
walnuts, perfectly cracked, and a
large open-nearted box of candy.
ssturallv. these being the circum-