The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-02-16

hundred miles from here. I don't sec
Just how we couid have heard his
name-unless he visited here. or got
into the papers In some way"
Mrs. Atwater seemed unwilling to
yield a mysterious point. She rocked
decorously In her chair. shook her
head. and after setting her lips rigid
ly, opened them to insist that she could
never change her mind: Julia had
acted very abruptly. "Why couldn't
she have let her poor father know, at
least a few days before she did,"
Mr.. Atwater sighed. "Why, she ex-
plains in her letter that she only
knew 1t, herself, an hour before she
wrote"
"Her poor ratherl" his wife repeat.
ed commiseratingly.
"Why. Mollie. / don't see that faith
er's especially to be pitied."
"Don'f your said Mrs, Atwate-.
THAT old man. to have to live In that
big house all alone, except a few ne
gro ~seryants?"
"Why. no! About half the houses
In the neighborhood, up and down the
street, are fully occupied by close Tela-
tives of his; I doubt If he'll be really
often said he'd give a great deal IL
Julia had been a plain, unpopular girl.
I'm strongly Of the opinion. myself,
that he'll be pleased about this. or
course 1t may upset him a little, just
at first"
"Yes; I think 1t will I" Mrs. At
water shook her head forebodingly.
"And he isn't the only u it's going
TO upset"
mo, he isn't" her husband admit
ted, seriously. "That's always been
the trouble with Julia she never could
bear to seem Disappointing and so, Of
course. I suppose every one of 'em had
a special idea that he was really about
the top of the list with her."
every last ore of 'em was positive
of it," said Ms. Atwater. THAT was
Julia's wa, rith EN-"
Eyes. Julla's always been much too
kind-hearted for other peoples goOdp"
Thus Mr.. Atwater summed up-and
he was this Julia's brother. Addition.
ally, since he vas the older, he had
known her since her birth.
"If you ask me-" said his wife, "Tll
really be surprised If it all goes
through without a suicide"
"Oh. not quite suicide, perhaps" Mr..
Atwater protested. "Tm glad it's a
dry state, thought"
She failed to fathom his simple
meaning. "WhyT"'
well. some of EN- might feel that
desperate at least" he explained.
prohibitions a safeguard for the dis
appointed in love-"
This phrase and a previous n
stirred Florence, who had been sitting
quietly, according to request, and
resting; but not resting her curl
osity. "Who's disappointed In love,
papaf" she inquired with an explosive
eagerness which slightly startled her
preoccupied parents. what Is all this
about Aunt Julia, and Grandpa gOin'
to live alone, and people committing
suicide and prohibition and every
thing? What is all this, mamaT'
Nothing, Florence"
"Nothing! That's what you always
say about the very most Interesting
things that happen in the whole am.
ilyl What is all this, papa?"
'It's nothing that would be inter
esting to little girls, Florence. Mere
ly some family matters"
MY goodness J" Florence exclaimed.
I'm not a little girl any more, papa
You're always forgetting my age! And
If it's a family matter ! belong to the
family, / guess, about as much as any
body else, don't 1? Grandpa himself
isn't any more one of the family than
| am. I don't care how old he isl"
This was undeniable, and her father
laughed. ITS really nothing you'd
care about one way or the other" he
said. .
swell Td care about It If It's a Sc
cret," Florence insisted. IF it's a Sc
cret I'd want to know 1t whatever it's
about"
"Oh. 1t isn't a secret, particularly,
| suppose. At least, it's not to be
made public for a time; it's only to
be known in the family"
swell, didn't ! just prove I'm as
much one o. the family AS"
"Never mind" her father said sooth-
ingiy. 81 don't suppose there's any
harm in your knowing tiff you won't
go telling everybody. Your aunt Julia
has just written US that she's en-
gagged"
Mrs. Atwater uttered an exclama-
ton, but she was too late to check
him.
whats the matter?" he asked.
SIN afraid you oughta't to have
told Florence. She isn't just the most
discreet"
"Pshaw" he laughed. "She certain
ly is one of the family, however. and
Julia wrote that all of the family
might be told. You'll not speak of 1t
outside the family, will you, Flor
ence?"
But Florence was not yet able to
speak Of II, even inside the family
so surprising. sometimes. are parents
theories of what will not interest