Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-01-19
PART iIl-Continued.

$50 on" Aunt Harriet urged. "What
did Noble dO?"
"Why, his mother said he just went
up to his room and changed his shoes
and tie"
81 thought So" Aunt Fanny whis-
pered, hurriedly, but solemnly
CRAZY"
And then" Mr. Atwater continued,
''he left the house, and she supposed
he'd gone down to the office but she
was uneasy, and telephoned his ia
Their. Noble hadn't come. He didn't
come, all afternoon, and he didn't go
back to the house; and they tele-
phoned around to every place he could
go, that they know of-and they
couldn't find him or hear anything
about him." Mr.. Atwater coughed and
paused.
But what Aunt Harriet cried,
''what do they thinks become of hiIn?"
"Old man Dill said they were all
pretty anxious said Mr.. Atwater.
They're afraid Noble has-disap-
peared."
Aunt Fanny screamed.
Then, in perfect accord, they all
turned to look at Herbert, who rose
and would have retired upstairs had
he been able
AS that perturbing evening wore on,
word gradually reached the most out
lying members of the Atwater family
connection that Noble Dill was miss
ing. Ordinarily, this bit of news
would have caused them no severe
anxiety. Mobiles person and intellect
were so commonplace gnifcaht"
was the term usually preferred in his
own circle-that he was considered to
be as nearly negligible as it is charita-
BILE to consider a fellow being. True.
there was one thing that set him
apart; he was found worthy of a SUI
perIative when he fell in love with
Julia Atwater. OF all the large and
ardent group in like condition, he OBJ
tanned cOnSpiCuouSneSS as "The
Worst" OF course, this distinction
caused him to become better known
and more talked about than in his
earlier youth.
However, the eccentricities of per.
son in such an extremity of love are
seldom valued except as comedy; and
even then with no warmth of heart
for the comedian, but rather with an
incredulous disdain; 50 it is safe to say
that under other circumstances Noble
might have been missing, indeed ant
few of the AtwaterS would have
worried a great deal about him, fear
ing that rash act on his part nigh
reflect notOriety on themselves through
their beautiful relative-and through
the North End Daily OriOle. AnC
when nine o'clock came and Mrs. Dill
reported to Herbert's father over the
telephone, that nothing had yet beer
heard from her son, the pressure OF
those who were blaming the Oriole
more than Julia became so wearing
that Herbert decided he would rather
spend the remaining days of his life
running away from Walie TOrbn than
put in any more of such a dogs eve
ming as he was putting in-thus hi
defined it.
He made a confession; that is t.
say, it was a proclamation. lie pro
claimed his innocence. He began the
history Of it with description o.
Iistinatl,r 20 ~ IF
tie game with Patty Fairchild, an'
explained how he and Henry had fel
that their parents would not always b.
with them, and as their parents wished
them to be polite, they had resolved
TO be polite to Florence. Proceeding
he related in detail her Journalistic
exploit.
OF the matter in hand he told thu
perfect and absolute truth-and wa
Immediately refuted confuted ant
demonstrated to be a false witness b.
Aunt Fanny, Aunt Carrie, and Cousin
Virginia, who had all heard him We
hemently declare, no longer ago thai
the preceding Sunday, that he and hi
partner Hdu taken secure measures L
prevent Florence from ever again set
ting foot within the newspaper build
ing. In addition, he was quite show
cred with definitions; and these, thong
so variant, all sought to phrase but tn
one subject; his conduct in seeking t
drag Florence through the mire, whe
she was absent and could not defen
herself. Poor Florence would answe
later in the evening he was told, Sc
verely and though her cause was thu
champoned against the SANDER it
true that some of them felt STRINGS G
curiosity in regard to Florence. |
fact, there was getting to be somethin
like q cloud upon her reputation. Their
were several important things for he
to explain; among them. her takin
it upon herself to see that Nrble r.
ceived copy of the Oriole, AID ais
her sudden departure from home an
rather odd protraction of abscnC
therefrom. 1t was not thought sl
was in good company. Uncle JOSEF
had tclephoned from n suburb thu
they were dining at a farmhouse an
Al...