The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-01-25

played for an audience. Adults arc I'M |
dependable. Thirteen attempts to ex- |
crciso great philanthropy, and every
grown person In sight, with the nos.
siblc exception Of Great-uncle Joseph,
goes into wholly unanticipatcd fits OF
horror. Cause and effect have no re.
lation: Fate operates without reason.
able ScQucnCc-like monkey
And while Florence, thus pcnsivcly
disturbed, sat beside fat Uncle Joseph |
during their long, long drive, relatives
OF hers were indeed going into fits; at
least, so Florence would have dc.
scribed their gestures and incohoren.
rles Of com!ncnt And straight into snch
htsrl gene did the luckless Herbert
walk when driven home, after the
movies, by thoughts Of food. e.. ahput
SIX that evening. Henry Rootcr mao
strongly advised him against return
ing.
1t may reasonably be felt that It
required no particular gift of prophecy
to hazard the prediction that ia all
probability q most unpleasant form 0f
| tnquisition awaited Herbert on his re
| turn TO his home. And Henry ROutcr
! had the wisdom (0nd eXpericncc( Of
| thirteen.
You better not" he said wisely.
Honest, YOU bcttC" not, IIcrbcrtr
well, we got apple dumplings for
dinner" Herbert said, his tone show
Ing the strain Of mental uncertainty.
ELIZA told me this morning we were
goin' to have cm. l kind Of hate to
go, but guess I better Henry"
"You won't see any apple dump
lings," Henry predicted
"We'l, believe I bettcr try 1t,
| Henry
"You better come homo with me.
My father and mother'll be perfectly
| willing to have YOU"
II know that" said Herbert. "But
1 guess I better go home and try 1t,
anyhow, Henry. 1 didn't have any
thing to do with what's in the Oriole.
It's every last word ole Florence's do
Ing. haven't got any more right to
be picked on Cor that than child"
Eyes" Henry admitted "But If you
go ard tell 'em so, bet she'd get even
with you some way that would prob
ably get me In trouble; too, before we
got through with the job. wouldn't
tell 'em IL was you, Herberti'
"Well, I wasn't intending to-" Her
bert responded gloomlly; and the
thought Of each, unknown to the other,
was the same, consisting Of a symbolic
likeness of WallIe Torbln at his
worst. II ought to tell on Florence;
by rights ought" said Herbert; "but
I've decided won't. There's no tellin
what she wouldn't do. Not that she
could do anything to me- particularly
| -
| "Nor me, either" his friend inter-
| posed hurriedly II don't worry about
anything like that Still, IL + was you
wouldn't tell. She's only girl, we
got to remember"
"Yes," said Herbert. "Thats the
way look at 1t, Henry; and the way
look Mt it Is just simply this: long
rs she's girl, why, simply let her go.
You can't tell what she'd do, and so
what's the use to go and tell on
giri2"
"That's the way look Mt It," Henry
agreed. "Whats the user IF I was
in your place, I'd act just the same
way you do"
"Well," said Herbert, IT guess
better go on home, Henry. It's
good while after dark"
You're maxim big mistake"
Henry Rooter called after him. "You
won't see any apple dumplings, bet
hundred dollars! You better come
on home with me-"
And Herbert no more than half
opened his front door before he per-
ceived that his friends advice had
been excellent. SO clearly Herbert
perceived this, that he impulsively de.
cided not to open the door any far
ther, but on the contrary to close it,
and retire; and he would have done
SO, had not his mother reached forth
and detained him. She was, in fact,
just inside that door, in the hall with
one Of his great-aunts, one Of his
aunts, two aunts-by-marriage, and an
elderly unmarried cousin, who were
all just on the point OF leaving. How
ever they changed their minds and
decided to remain, now that Herbert
was among them.
1t really seemed that to many per-
sons who were gathered there, appar.
emily In important consultation, his
appearance was distinctly welcome
His own feelings were in nowise
mixed. They were distinctly appre.
hensive, and the volley of mingled
questionIngs and reproaches which
met him did not tend TO remove them.