The pioneer-review. [volume] (Philip, Haakon County, S.D.) 1920-current, 1922-05-18
The BEAST
BY ADELAIDE BROWN

| g. 1922 by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
| Dusk softened the outlines of the
sordid mill town; vague lights pricked
| the darkness here and there like dim
firefies. The dreary dusty little city
became, for the moment, austerely
beautiful. Dusk deepened also in the
third foor-back" of Mrs. Gammage's
third-rate rooming house. In the room
girl sat crouching in broken chair
and shivering In spite of the heat. The
SILVER came because for the first time
in her eighteen sheltered, cOddled
years, Betty Martin sensed the APP
proach of Beast. The name of the
Beast was Fear.
1t all came about because John
Martin had a flash-in-the-p temper
because Betty had inherited the same
and most of all because quiet
mother rested in quiet grave on the
hillside with only clumps of pale hare
bells for company. Had she been with
them it never would have happened.
Seventeen years and eleven months
of having ones own petted, pampered
way does not, somehow. prepare one
for a fathers apoplectic rage and
harsh sundering of loves young dream.
To Betty, the young man in question
seemed passing fair, but not to be
taken seriously-oh. no, not et!-un-
til that same fathers foot was put
down with thunderous emphasis. Then
well then, daddy had ordered her,
mind you-and Betty's quivering lips
Strengthened In the darkness as she
lived it over for the two hundredth
time-to choose between Billy Devine
and getting out to earn her own living,
or being nice and Obedient little
girl. Betty got out. Betty also left
behind the check for $500 which her
father had deposited stealthily on her
dresser.
With the change she had on hand,
Betty started out for the nearest city,
head held high and courage in her
heart Two weeks later, as she sat
in her stuffy little room. her courage
had evaporated her heart (shs
thought was broken, but her pride
still held. Sixty-seven cents and her
landady had ordered her out of the
house with one weeks rent unpaid.
For Betty had not yet learned Il single
move in the grand game Of bluff. After
ali. she was only child.
She did not know how to get work.
She did not know Of "uncle" who
would have cheerfully advanced her
$50 on her rings. She did not know
why Mrs. Gammage eyed these same
rings and her beautiful clothing so
queerly; she did not know that this
same girlish finery had already
"queered" several jobs for her: she
did not know where to go to find kind
hearts. In fact, the only things she
knew how to do well were to make
delicious fudge and wheedle checks
out of daddy. But go back to him?
Not she. Shed spend the night on
the park bench first-which she pro-
ceeded to do
Policemen were few and far between
in this little town. so no one said her
nay when she dragged herself and her
suitcase to a bench in dark corner
Of the park. She had decided to go
without supper. The town clock struck
nine The town clock struck ten, and
with each succeeding hour 1t seemed
to boom more solemnly. She crouched
closer to the friendly shadow. Fear.
the Beast crouched beside her. Would
daddy find her starved body
hid away in some park corner? How
long did one live without eating? Was
it very painful to die that way?
Eleven o'clock, and how tired and
hungry she was! Footsteps sound
ar on the nearest path and she held
her breath. A man, alone, walked
past. She could not know that he was
the kind-hearted father Of four girls.
SO the Beast, snarling bit now, drew
n step closer. Suppose, In the middle
of the night, some man should come!
She stilled a scream with both hands
pressed against her lips. She lived
year for every hour of that slow
passing night.
And for exactly thirteen days and
ten hours, John Martin had been tear
ing his hair and rushing frantically
from one city to another. from police
station to police station. He had come
home to lunch, with peaceOfferlng
under his arm, to find Betty gone and
the check where he had left 1t. And
from that moment peace knew him no
more.
As last resort, he had come to
the little city nearest home (for he
had felt sure that Betty would feel
the lure of distance) and he had
spent two days tracing Betty to Mrs.
Gammage's rooming house. That eve
ming he had said things-terrible
things-to Mrs. Gammage which that
worthy was never to forget. Then he
hunted the streets, the lodging houses,
the hospital, the morgue. hour by hour,
aided by a corps of detectives.
BY one o'clock Betty had fallen into
an uneasy doze. Her handbag dropped
to the pebbled walk with thud. A
furtive shadow slipped nearer, grinned
ST n Il