The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-06-28
HUMPHREYS PLAN
Chapter 90


Mile had never ridden a horse.
Horses were considered out of date
and questionable in Wissakegan. The
thing was to own car there-not
cheap car, no matter how good or how
trustworthy such a car might be. 1t
was necessary TO own big, sprawl
ing, luxurious sort of car, to belong to
the leading element. The outlying
farmers owned the cheap. noisy little
runabouts
Mile ran Humphreys old car we'll
enough, though she was lost if any
thing went wrong with the machinery.
Now, however, having seen the smart
ly dressed girls cantering over the
tanbark road in Central Park, and
having seen her favorite little blonde
actress appear in a third act in most
fetching riding habit-Millie now,
wanted to ride.
'If only I'd bought a habit" she
mourned, feeding sugar recklessly to
her new possession.
'Never mind a habit" Humphrey
said. you've made enough commo-
ton in these parts with your Paris
gowns and pain-what sort of pain did
you call that thing?"
Mile smiled at the reception-for
the nth time, of his bad joke. Then
she laughed outright when Humphrey
went off to the store and bought her
corduroy riding breeches, such as the
men wore, canvas puttees and tan
flannel shirt.
Mile took pleats in the waistline of
the breaches, and donned the outfit,
ready for her Sunday afternoon les
son.
"Slickest rig yet" Humphrey ap-
proved. Anybody can look fine in
fine clothes, but when woman,s
pretty in ordinary things, then she's
really locker"
Which compliment put Mile in
great good humour.
Besides, the furniture came and her
house was the pride of the village,
since 1t had real carpets, real bu-
reau with a large mirror, pictures,
nice linen, tables and goodness knows
how many other luxuries.
Mile made the woman her fast
friends by giving them all the furnt-
ture she couldn't use, in sudden graft
tude for their kindness to her.
So Mile spent her afternoons on
her horse. which made up in gentle
ness what it may have lacked IN
speed. She forgot the various beau
filters she had brought out with her
or rather wondered what she would
look like in a stiff black silk hat, such
as the New York girls wore-many OF
the women in the country. to save
work. had cut their hair. On an I'M
nulse. Millie did the same, and ther
wept bitterly at the sight OF mel
nice brown hair lying about the car
pet
Humphrey first looked shocked
then swore then laughed
"Gosh, I believe | like it," he con
cluded. and went off into another
burst of laughter.
of the Mississippi river IN 1871 was
she put them away, and went fortf
to meet him, riding bareheaded witt
flving hair and feeling rather tom
boyish.
wen pack up some grub and ride
over to my place this weekend,
Humphrey suggested.
1t was a long journey over mountain
trails. stopping Saturday night at
camp where Humphrey knew friends
would put them up They rode II
again Sunday-not having reache'
the spot, but having seen it early tina
morning.
Anyway. know where this t1mbe
is" Humphrey said. I'm not takln
anyone's word about it anymore
Mile asked more about it.
"You did bad job over my oil
business" he said, and then laughe
indulgently. 1.-THE good name alon
was worth thousands. you never co
lected on that. l did-had the ban
fix 1t up for me and send me the NOR
ey. Then Jones and I"
"Our Jones?" Jones was the owne
of the timber they were working il
and lived at the camp.
SURE used to buy lumber froI
his mills, he knew me. In fact, whe
I got my wits together after l &c
tired riding freights. | recollected b
was somewhere in this country So
asked people, and then hiked it frol
the railroad to his camp and aske
him for a job"
They had never mentioned Hun
phrey's disappearance. So this We
the brief and undramatic tale of no
he had landed high and dry in lun
berman's camp!
Details of Humphreys propose
Investment" were almost as sho
- lacking in drama. Having son