, 1922-01-28

~ - y
ing the scrntn Of mental uncertainty.
"Elira told ne thin morning We were
goin' TO have EN- I kind Of hate TO
90. but 1 guess I Better. Henry"
You won't see any apple dump
rings." Henry predic.-d
We'll. I believe I better try II
Henry
You better come home with me.
Ny father and motheru be perfectly
willing to have you"
Il know that said Herbert But
I guess I better 20 home ard try II.
anyhow. Henry. I didn't have any
thing to do with what's In the oriole.
It's every last word ole Torence's do
Ing I haven't got any more right to
be picked on for that than q chid.-
Yea" Henry admitted But II you
70 and tell EN- &C I bet she'd get eyen
with you some way that would prob
ably get me- In trouble. too, before We
got through with the job. I wouldn't
tell 'em II I was you. Herbertf"
well. I wasn't intending to- Her
bert responded gioomily; and the
thought OF each. unknown to the other.
was the same. consisting Of a symbolic
likeness Of wailie Torbin at his
worst Il ought to tell on Florence;
by rights / ought" said Herbert; out
I've decided 1 won't There's no tellln'
what she wouldn't Dc. Not that she
could do anything to me. particularly
~
Nor me. either" his friend inter
posed hurriediy. II don't worry about
anything like thnti stil. II 1 was you
I wouldn't tei. She's only q girl. we
got to r~emember."
Yes" said Heroert. That's tho
wsy I look at II. Henry; and the way
/ look at II In Just simply this: long
as she's n girl, why, simply let her 90
You can't tell what she'd do, and so
what's the use 20 go and tell on a
grit"
That's the way I look at IT. Henry
agreed. whats the usei II I was
in your place, I'd act Just the same
way you do"
WELL" said Herbert. "I guess I
better go on home. Henry. It's a
good while after dark"
You're maxim a big mistake I"
Henry Rooter called after him. "You
won't see n apple dumplings, 1 bet
q hundred dollarsi 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-
Their. but on tie contrary to close II.
and retire; and he would have done
so, had not his mother reached forth
and detained him. She was. n 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
wns among them.
1t really seemed that to many per
sons who were gathered there, appar-
entity In important consultation. his
appearance was distinctly welcome.
His OWE feelings were In nowise
mixed. They were distinctly appre-
hensive, and the volley Of mingled
questionings and r~eproaches which
met him did not END to remove them.
Each member OF the party seemed to
feel in some manner particularly ag-
grleved.
Herbert's father Joined them, a few
minutes later, but It had already be-
come clear to the son that the North
End Daily Oriole was In one sense,a
thing of the past, though in another
sense this former owner and propric-
tor was certain that he would never
hear the last Of II. However, on ac-
count of the life of blnckmail and
slavery now led by the members Of
the old regime. the OrSaie's extinction
was far less painful to Herbert than
his father supposed; and the latter
wasted a great deal of severity, In
sisting that the printing press should
be returned that very night to Uncle
Joseph. Herbert's heartiest retrospec-
tive wish was that the ole printing
press had been returned to Uncle 10
seph long ago.
"f you can find him to give It toll"
Aunt Harriet suggested. Nobody
knows where he goes when he gets
the way he did this afternoon when
we were discussing 1t all with him.
! only hope he'll be back tonight"
"He can't stay away forever" Aunt
Fanny remarked "That garage Is
charging him Eve dollars an hour for
the automobile he's In. and surely even
Joseph will decide there's a limit to
wildness some timei"
Il don't care when he comes back"
Herhert's father declared grimly.
Whenever he does he's got to take
that printing press back-and Herbert
will be let out Of the house long
enough to carry 1t over. His mother
or ! win go with him."
Herbert bore much more than this ;
he had seated himself on the third
step of the stairway in tho hall. and
maintained ms much dogped silence as