The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1922-01-26

alter In Henry's attic; hut Florence
gave him to understand that the the
alter could not be.
Henry and Herbert had both
child, for each believed her treach-
erous to himself; but Florence now
informed Herbert that far from de-
pending on mere hearsay, she had in
her possession the confession OF his
knowledge that he had ocular beauty
the ruinous bit of writing IN his own
hand and signed with his complete
name-that she had discovered the
paper where Patty had lost il (; and that
II was now in secure place, aud in an
envelope upon the outside of which
was already written. "Wallle Torbin,
Kindness of Florence A."
Herbert collapsed. SO did Henry
Rooter. little later that evening, af-
ter a telephoned conversation with
the slayedriver.
The two miserable printers were
back In their places the next after
noon.
And on Saturday the new Oiiole,
now in every jot and item the in
spired organ of feminism. made its
undeniably sensational appearance.
A copy, neatly folded, was placed
in the hand OF Noble Dill, as he set
forth for his place of business, after
lunching at home with his mother.
In ~.
II there-without charge. She came
hurriedly from somewhere in the
neighborhood, out ef what yard or
alley he did not notice. and slipped the
little oblong sheet into his lax fingers.
There" she said breathlessly.
There's a good deal about you in it.
this week, Mr.. Dill, and guess-I
guess"
"What, Florence"
81 guess maybe you'll" She looked
up at him shyly; then, with no more
to say, turned and ran back in the di
rection whence she had come-and
was gone. Noble walked on, not M
once examining her little gift, but car
rying il absently in fingers still lax ar
the end of dangling arm. There was
no life i'm him for anything; Julia was
away.
Away-and yet the dazzling crea-
ture looked at him from sky, from
earth, from air; looked at him with
the most poignant kindness, yet al
ways shook her head! She had an
swered his first letter by kind little
note, his second by kinder and hitler
one, and his third fourth. fifth, and
sixth by no note at all but by the
kindest message Through one of her
aunts) that she was thinking about
him a great deal. And even this was
three weeks ago. Since then, from
Julia-nothing at all
But yesterday something little
stimulating had happened. On the
street, downtown, he had come face to
face, momentarily with Mr.. ii. /. At
water, Senior, Julia's peculiar old
! father; and for the first time in No
ble's life this Mr.. Atwater nodded to
him pleasantly. Noble went on his
way, elated: Was there not something
| ing? There had been an easement OF
the pain of absence; and he glowed
with thoughts of Mr.. Atwater.
The glow faded somewhat from
| Noble when he reached telephone :
he called up his mother, and she said
there was no recent news of Julia
current In the Atwater family connec-
| ton that she could hear of: none OF
them had word that she was coming
home. However, Noble did not de-
scend all the way into the cellar OF
| his soul; some of his glow remained
and kept him little more cheerful
than he had been for several weeks.
The kind greeting of Julia's father
had stirred his Imagination. An event
so singular might be interpreted in
the happiest way: What had Julia
1 written her father, to change him 50
toward Noble? And Noble was still
dreamily interpreting as he walked
down the street with the North End
Daily Oriole idle in an idle hand.