The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-04-20
ole
ORIOLE

wrote me that Uncle Joseph had given
Herbert a printing press. suppose
Herbert's the editorF"
And that Rooter boy" Noble said
sadly. II think maybe your little niece,
Florence, has something to do with II,
too"
Something to DO with 1t? She
usually has all to do with anything she
gets hold of! But what's 1t got to do
with me?"
You'll see !" he prophesied accu-
rately.
She began to read. laughing at some
OF the items as she went along then
she suddenly became rigid, holding the
small journal before her in a trans
fixed hand.
oh" she cried. "Oh, oh !"
"That'S-that's what--I meant"
Noble explained.
Julia's eyes grew dangerous. THE
little fiends I" she cried. oh, really,
this is "A lOng-suffering family, but it's
time these outrages were stopped"
She jumped up. isn't it frightful?'
she demanded of Noble.
Yes, it is" he said, with a dismal
fervor. Nobody knows that better
than ! do, Julia :"
II mean this I" she cried. extending
the Oriole toward him with a fine
sweep of gesture. 81 mean this dread
full story about poor Mr.. Crum!"
But it's true, though" he said.
That's what hurts me, Julia !"
Noble Dilr
Julia 7"
do you dare to say you believed
it?'
He sprang up. at isn't true?"
mot one word of it! ! told you
Mr.. Crum is only twenty-six. He's
not been out of college more than
three or four years, and it's the most
terrible SANDER to say he's ever been
married at all!
Noble dropped back into his chair of
misery. Il thought sou meant it
wasn't true"
I've just told you there isn't one
word of tr-"
But ELECTROMAGNETIC him."
Noble gulped. you're engaged to
him, Julia"
She appeared not to hear him. 81
suppose ii can be lived down." she
said. ITO think of Uncle Joseph put
ting such asthing into the hands of
those awful children !"
But, Julia, you are eng"
Noble! !" she said sharply.
"Well, you are eng"
Julia drew herself up. Different
people mean different things by that
word" she said with severity, like ali
annoyed inStructress. There are any
number of shades of meaning to
words; and If / used the word you
mention In writing home to the family,
| may have used a certain shade and
they may have thought l intended an
other"
but, Julia"
Mr.. Crum Is a charming young
man." she continued, with the same
primness. 81 liked him very much. /
liked him very much indeed. / liked
him very, very much. 1 liked him
very"
81 understand" he interrupted.
Don't say II any more, julia"
NO; you don't understand. At first
I liked him very much-in fact | still
do, Of cOurse--lm sure he's one of the
pest and most attractive young men in
the world. l think he's q man any girl
ought to be happy with, if he were
only to be considered by himself. ]
don't deny that / liked him very much
indeed, and | don't deny that for sew
cral days after heater he proposed
10 mel don't deny / thought some
thing serious might possibly come of
it. But at that time, Noble, l hadn't
hadn't really thought of what it meant
to give up living here at home, with all
the family and everything-and friends
friends like you, Noble. l hadn't
thought what 1t would mean to me to
give all this up. And besides, there
was something very important. At the
time / wrote that letter mentioning
poor Mr.. Crum to the family, Noble, l
hadn't hadn't She paused, In
some distress. 81 hadn't"
you hadn't what?" he cried.
II hadn't met his motheri"
Noble leaped to his feet. Julia!
You aren't-you aren't engagedT
IL am not" she answered decisively.
If | ever was, in the slightest. / GER
tainly am not now"
Poor Noble was TRANSPORTED. He
struggled; making half-formed ges-
lures. speaking half-made words.
"Julia-Julia-' He choked: "Julia,
promise me something? Julia-prom-
Use TO promise me something"
II WILL" she said quickly. "What do
YOU want me to do?"
Give me your word" he said, still
radiantly struggling. ,"Giye me your
word-your word and sacred promise,
Julia-youn never be engaged to any
body at all !"
At six minutes after -four o'clock Of
the second afternoon following Julia's
return. Noble Dill closed his own gate
behind him as he set forth upon the
. ur-ininute walk that would bring him
70 Inlia's. He wore a bit of indoor
geranlum In the ~buttonhole of his new
II a -