Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-09-09


''That listens good. If you're all right
yoynN have tn key. So 'toddle over an un.
lock thu door. An if you don't unlock it
b Ill let out a yell you'll remember S longs
they keep you If, tn hoosegow!
Bancroft had never before encountered a
woman-young and handsome-with such
rough and ready diction. and perhaps that
added TO his confusion. But as he unlocked
the door and flung it open lae began to laugh
at himself. In all his life he had never felt
SO like q fool, for it was in his nature to lend
dignity to all his acts. He did not blame the
young woman. Indeed, he found her worthy
to admire. She was as brave as she was
handsome.
At the sound of the laughter a twinkle
popped into Jenny's eyes. She realized that
she had had her scare for nothing.
But you looked as, if. you was just about
t do tn Fairbanks down tn stairs. Honest
~, now, was you goin' for a Walk" " ~
" was not. Iran to the head of the stairs
for no reason that ! can explain. Will you
accept my apologies for soaring your.
We'll, we'll; no harm done. What did you
say tn name was?" -
'Collingswood, jeremiah Collingswood.''
jeremiah? That settles it,"
Settles WHAT" asked Bancroft, who Was
beginning to enjoy himself.
Why, no crook in tn: world'd ever adnit
s havjn' that tied to him."
~ Bad as all that! But Jerry sounds all
right"
"Of course, thatll help. My name is Jenny
Malloy, an l live in three" -
Jenny. That's the diminutive of
Joanna"
Are YOU guyin' me?"
20, no, just happened to recall. Jenny is
a beautiful manic" 1t was astonishing how
easy it was to talk to this odd young woman.
Leigh Hunt wrote a charming poem about
a girl named Jenny"
"Never heard O. him."
."It runs like this .
Jenny kissed me when we met,
Jumping .
:" She did mott" But Jenny was smiling.
After all, this boy might turn out TO be regu.
lar.
'Bubbling with mischief-now that he was
= sure Of himself-he went on with the verses:
jumping from the chair she sat in
Time, YOU thief. who love to get
Sweets upon your list, put that in.
Say I'm weary, say ,I'mEsad, - .
Say. that healthy and. wealth have missed
Say I'm growing old, but add
Jenny kissed mel"
Hey, you!" bawled a voice through one
OF the doors. Forget it, and beat it into.
the hay"
. So much for the introduction of Jenny
Malloy, show girl and manikin, to jeremiah
C~ollingswOod, nee Bancroft.
No matter how seriously bent the human
mind may become upon a project, there, will
be diversions. 1t is uniinasinable that any
human being should proceed unalterably
toward an end. as it is unimaginable for Il
tree TO grow without branches. The seller
of adventures was never wholly out of Ban
croft's thought: nor was Bancroft ever wholly
out of the sellers; but there were manyj di-
! versions more to Bancroft's account because
he was younger.
For five nights running he vociferously
beat his palms together as Nancy Bowman
came upon the stage to enliven the operetta;
which wasn't SO bad as Nancy thought it/
nor SO. good as jeremiah believed it to be.
It may sound incredible. but he never once
recognized Jenny Malloy in the chorus. Why
should he?
On the morning of the sixth day there was
a fetter- under Bancroft's door. He recog-
nized Lawyer SHELLS hand, but Lawyer Smell
had in this INSTANCE nothing to relate. The
envelope contained another. addressed to COL
ingswood jeremiah Bancroft, in the sober
patronymic. The Joy, the transcendental hap
piness which emanated from that letter, a
mixture of ink and tears! 1t was from Mrs.
Horne. Professor Miller and Miss Hewitt had
spent the afternoon with her; and they all
had acted like mad. cried and laughed to-
gether. Her darling boy, to remember in that
way those who had always loved him! I" But,
Jerry boy, I shan't touch nine What in the
world should ] do with it when the interest
two thousand:-Would smother me! So am
going to keep. it for you, against the day
when YOU may need it. The village is
stunned, not only over what you have given
us. but about the church mortgage and the
4. memorial window. o, my boy. -supposing
We should learn some day that your father
had been q saint, and that we'd all nlisjudged
him. go
" Bancroft decided to keep this letter 90
long as he lived; and whenever the world
went wrong, he would reread it and draw a
tonic therefrorh, What a staff to lean on,
the knowledge that he had made three peo-
pie happy and put them beyond want for
ever. But that his: father might some day,
he proven a saint, he had his doubts.
As he was returning to his room from the
restaurant, he encountered in the hallway
the queerest, funniest little dog he had ever
seen. The apinal, dancing with joy at the
prospect of unexpected freedom, dashed for
the stairs; but Bancroft blocked the passage.
The dog turned and romped back, circled
and pranced. lie was SO happy. Then out
of TIM dapr diagonally opposite came rush
ing a Young woman in a blue kimono with
>~trailing white cherry blossoms.
Ling Foo" she called in a desperate
whisper.
The dog raced about, lodging this way
and that. Bancroft joined the chase. The
dog, himself dark against a dark floor, had
considerableysp before Bancroft succeeded
in catching hold of his plumey tail. Al he
held out the dog toward its mistress. he al;
most drpnAed the animal. so great was his
astenishlnent.
!" Why it's youm he stainmered. !.
Hef establishment was for the moment be-