The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-02-09
When fl Girl
 Marries
By ANN LESLIE

d1OLiS, IIldiI u tIldh6 neT LOOK dn old hoss that ain't handsome no mat ter how much groomin' he gets. So eI rustled a clean collar and hero I be-"
 Then you didn't get any fur<her news of Dick West-Dicky Boy, I
 mean" I said sarcastically. 'But L yas thinking of your friend Dick 50 his name came naturally to my lips. Where is he?" "Ain't you see him lately?' asked Dad Lee. "Ain't you friends any more?"
 Ignoring this question I answered
 the first with breath1ess quickness. "I haven't seen him since my brother was hhot."
 1 Your brother shot?'' Dear. dear
 that would be my Martha's boy. Why
 didn't you tell me. m'dear? I'd do whatever I could for her boy" What have you done for her boy l and her girl-since the first time you heard of them?' I asked, striving 1 again to take him off his guard. ''Since first Dick West told they
 was in New York;" replied Dad Lee, smiling at me shrewdIy, 'I been try l ing to get in touch with them-trying to show that the whole continent ain't too big for the old sire to cover to get back to where his lilly is pas turing. But you're awful cold, n'dear. DOI LONS the Olu man nluCn. QO you You've never even had me meet up l with my Martha's boy.'' I sprung to my feet. I'm not in position to do much for you,' I said. And L have my own ties already formed. Neal won't meet you. He's bitter-naturally But I'll pay your board and room and try to give you a small weekly all lowance."
 1T don't need no allowance. I'll
 make out till your husband gets
 back" he volunteered. with an air of
 kindness. "Or even help you if you
 need the old man. Do you? Or need money?"
 1 Puzzled by this second exhibition | of generosity, I stared at him-then | beyond him, trying to fathom his mo- l lives. Suddenly I got a glimpse of
 the common-looking man lurking in the doorway, theoretically just out of sight, plainly just within earshot. Do you folks need any money?'' | repeated Dad Lee.
 Are you offering to led me Iaon- ey?" demanded, loud enough for the | man sku1ktng in the doorway to hear. Could anything be more natural?'' whimpered Dad Lee sanctimoniously. 'But I thought you had none," | replied ruthlessly- First you let dear | Father Andrew Hyland finance you.
 Then you gave me the honor of pzss--' | ing your bills''-
 ''Ever hear that commandment
 about honoring your father and
 mother?" broke in Dad Lee '1s there any reason I should l honor your" shot back. 1 Maybe there ain't m'dear; but Pm trying to do the right thing by you now. You got to give me credit for that. You've been holding a tight l rein on me, and so I had to turn to
 the ponies. They've been running
 good, and the first thing I do is tell
 you that I don't need any allowance | and stand ready to lend you about
 all of the hundred I made. Ain't that | fatherly?"
 "Is it?" I asked. eyeing him stern
 ly, striving by sheer force of will to
 drive him into self-betrayal. l Sure. it is," he said. What I want to know now is why you aint
 more daughter1y? You don't oonfide
 in me at all. You don't even tell me about your troubles and how you feel | having that hubby of yours stabnnB | somewhere else all this while.'' | Again got the feeling that he was
 looking for something to use against Jim. I replied circumspect: My husband will be back when
 he's accomplished the business which l took him away" | I could have vowed that I heard a
 snicker.
 Wait a minute.'' cried Dad Lee. | I'm an old fool. But you're my Mar 1 tha's lilly, and Pm going to cash my | check and give you half just to make
 me feel right with her" z I put out my hand in protest. But the man I wished to disclaim was funbling in a worn wallet. peering
 near-sightedly at the mass of papers it contained. Suddenly I understood the game he was playing. It pur-. posed to make feel that he was on my side and ready to share
 his poor little winnings most gener-s
 ously-with his daughter. On the | verge of protesting that I couldn't7
 think of accepting favors from him. I fairly choke back the words. and | waited.
 | At this moment Dad Lee wagged
 his head in triumph and pulled out
 a folded piece of tan paper. He peer
 ed at it gloatingly. My eyes followed his There the oblong of paper
 I saw just one word- Then Dad Lee
 fairly snatched it from my eyes and folded it again.
 black. tightly 5umbled letters I'd seen
 on Jim's 1edgers and once long ago. | on a check to Phoebe. was the word, 'tCash!'
 The tan ob1ong of paper was . check from Dick West to Dad Lee.
 You can't share Dick Vests mon- ey with me- chied shakily.' can't believe that my father-would- be- 1 having dealings with him" | I finished slowly, pausing for en1-z phasis, challenging Dad Lee with every intonatton and every syllable. | '@Tell me why you're so down ons that poor boy?" asked Dad Lee.s | wagging his head again as if he was. almost driven to washing his hands l of a daughter as difficult to manaEe. Hes been good friend to me Mores than generous. And what's more I | can't forgot that If he hadn't come. along my route I might have missed l connections with my Martha's girL | -r,1.,11 <~1r