The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-06-06
stay friends with him Il you'll let me. "

you a heap" he finished inadequately.
The eyes of the girl began to dance.
There was no use taking offense ut
this simple soul. Does he? I'm sure
I'm gratified," she murmured, busy
with her scissors among the roses.
I "Yep. never knowed Clay to look
y 1t girl before: He sure thinks q heap
Of you" F@ e.. & z. \, &G. @&
She. gaye. a. .Qneer little bubbling
/ aughs sYeqFe aattsring me-"
Honest, aint." Johnnie whispered
a secret across the rose bushes. "Say,
1 10 soA,i Maoark it right I'believe you can
get him." s@S1 =. 49,.
| The girl sparkled. Here was a new
slasts matrimoniafs, dssirability.
! sCIsarly tle view ds.%the sHttle cow
pnhchfr~ MAS that sha& oply to
crook his fingers to summon any girl
in the world that he desired.
what would you advise me to do?'
she dimpled. ,;a.@2's ."
1"Sho! dunno" He shyly I'm.
burdened himself Of the warning he
had been leading up to. but I'd
tie a can to that dude fellow that hangs
around-the BrOmfield guy. O. course
! l know he, amt one, two, three with
you while Clay's on earth, but don't
reckon I'd take any chances, as the
old sayin' is. Better get shet of the
dude" .' ~
Miss Whitford bit her lip to keep
! from exploding in a sudden gale of
mirth. But the sight Of her self-ap-
pointed. chaperon set her of into peals
Of laughter in spite of herself. Ev-
cry time she looked at johnnie she
went Oft into renewed chirrups. He
was SO homely and SO deadly earnest.
The little waif was staring at her in
perplexed surprise, mouth open and
chin fallen He could see no occasion
for gayety2at his suggestion. There
! was nothing subtle about the Runt.
In his social code wealth did not fig
ure. A OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES bronco
buster was free to offer advice to the
daughter of millionaire about her
matrimonial prospects If 1t seemed
best. st..sr ~
CLAY amt one o the common run Of
cowpunchers, ma'am. You bet you,
by jollies, he amt. Clay he owns a
| half-interest in the B-in-a-BOx. O.
course it amt what he's got, but what
he is that counts. He's the best darned
pilgrim ever did see" ~, y
"He's- all right, Johnnie," the girl
admitted with an odd smile. do you
want me to tell him that I'll be glad
to drop our family friends to meet his
approval? don't suppose he asked
you to speak to me about it, did he?"
The little range-rider missed the
irony Of this. mo, ma'am,. I Jest but
ted in. Mebbe / hadn' ought to Of
t1spoke." n = '7F T. =" i: ~ :
You needn't feel bad, Johnnie.
There's no harm done--if you don't
say anything about it to Mr.. Lindsay.
But don't think you were intended
for a matchmaker. That takes quite
a little finesse, doesn't it?''< s-'''as'-'-''r
The word ''finesse" was not inrJohn-
MES dictionary, but he acquiesced in
her verdict. .. 49, + ..,.. H. ..
1T reckon. ma'am. you're right"
Clay was waiting for lunch at a rot
isserie on Sixth avenue, and in order
to lose no time-Of which he had more
just now than he knew what to do
witll-was meaEwlEle reading news
paper proppeds against water-bottle.
I From the personal column there popped
out at him three lines that caught his
attention:
III this meets the eye of G. L. of
Arizona please write me, Box Mi,
The Herald. Am in trouble.
~ Kitty NJ"
He read 1t again. There could be
no doubt in the world. It was ad-
dressed to him, and from Kitty. He
remembered that on the bus he had
casually mentioned to her that he
usually read the Herald.
After he had eaten, Clay walked
down Broadway and left note at the
office Of the Herald for Kitty.
The thought Of her was in his mind
all day. He had worried q good deal
over her disappearance. 1t was not
alone that he felt responsible for the
loss OF her place as cigarette girl. One
disturbing phase Of the situation was
that Jerry Durand must have seens her.
What more likely than that he had
arranged to have her spirited away?
Lindsay had read that hundreds Of
girls disappeared every year in the
city. If they ever came to the surface
again it was as dwellers in that un-
derworld in the current. Of which they
had been caught. -
He had an engagement that after
noon to walk with Beatrice Whitford.
They crossed to Morningside park
and moved through it to the northern
end where the remains If Fort Laight,
built to protect the approach to the
city during the War of 1912, can still
be seen and traced.
Beatrice had read the. story Of the
earthworks. In the midst of the tell
ing of it she stopped to turn upon
him with swift accusation, you're
not listening"
? That's right I; wasn't,'t he admit