The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-02-21
a rs. ADAMS brightened. "I'm


and anxious TO get settled in good
surroundings. 7 was very favorably
impressed with him in every way; and
he exlained to me about his name; it
seems it isn't William, it's just VIII >;
his parents had him christened that
way. It's curious" She paused, and
then, with an effort TO seem casual,
which yelled nothing from her daugh-
ter: It's quite curious" she said
again. But it's rather attractive and
different, don't you think?"
Poor mamar' Alice laughed COM
passionately. Poor mama"
He is, though" Mrs. Adams main
tanned Hes very much Of a gen
tlenan, unless I'm no judge Of ap-
pearances; and it'll really be nice TO
have him in the house"
mo doubt" Alice said. as she
opened her door to depart. Il don't
suppose we'll mind having any of EN-
as much as we thought we would.
GoOd-by."
But her mother detained her, catch
ing her by the arm. Alice. you do
hate it, don't your
No" the girl said. quickly. There
wasn't anything else to do"
Mrs Adams became emotional at
once; her face cried tragedy, and her
voice misfortune. There might have
been something else to do! Oh, Alice
you gave your father bad advice when
you upheld him in taking a miserable
little ninety-three hundred and fifty
from that old wretch! If your father d
Just had the gumptiOn to hold out.
they'd have had to pay him anything
he asked. If he'd just had the gump-
ton and q little manly courage
Hush Alice whispered, for her
mothers voice grew louder. Hush!
He'll hear you. mama"
Gould he hear me too often?" the
@nbirt0rea lazy asked. IF he'd lis
tened to me at the right time, would
we have to be taking in boarders and
sinking down in the scale at the end
of our lives, instead of going up? You
were both wrong; we didn't need to
be so panicky-that was just what
that old man wanted: TO scare US and
buy US out for nothing. If your IA
ther'd just listened to me then. or if
for once in his life he'd just been half
a man"
Alice put her hand over her moth
er's mouth You mustn't! He will
hear your
But from the other side Of Adams
closed door his voice came qUerulous-
y. "Oh, I hear her, all right"
you see. mama?" Alice said. and,
as Nlrs Adams turned away, weeping,
the daughter sighed; then went in to
speak to her father.
He was in his old chair by the table.
with a pillow behind his head. but the
crocheted scarf and Mrs. Adams
wrapper swathed him no more: he
wore a dressings gown his wife had
bought for him. and was smoking his
pipe. THE old story. is it?" he said,
as Alice came in. THE same. same
old story! Well, well, Has she gomez"
Yes, papa"
Got your hat on" he said. Where
you going?"
I'm going downtown on an errand
of my own. Is there anything you
want. papa?"
yes. there is" He smiled at her.
ct wish you'd sit down while and
talk TO me-unless your Grand"
No" she said, taking a chair near
him. II was just going down TO see
about some arrangements was max
ing for myself There's no hurry"
What arrangements for yourself.
wearie?"
I'll tell you afterwards-after find
out something about EN- myself"
"Au right" he said, indulgently.
Keep your secrets; keep your Sc
crets." He paused drew musingly
upon his pipe. and shook his head.
"Funny-the way your mother looks
at things For the matter O. that,
everything's pretty funny, I expect,
II you stop to think about IL. For
instance, let her say all she likes, but
we were pushed right spang to the
wall, If J. A Lamb hadn't taken II
into his head to make that offer for
the works: and there's one Of the
things I been thinking about lately,
Alice; thinking about how funny they
work out"
What did you thing about it,
papa?"
We'll. I've seen it happen in other
peoples lives, time and time again.:
and now it's happened in ours. You
think you're going to be pushed right
up against the wall; you can't see any
way out, or any hope at all; you
think you're gone-and then some
thing you never counted on turns up;
and. while maybe you never do get
back TO where you used to be, yet
somehow you kind Of squirm out OF
being right sDang against the wall.
You keep on gOing-maybe you can't
go much. but you do go a little. See
what I mean?'
Yes. I understand. dear"
Yes. I'm afraid you do" he said.
Too badr' You oughtn't to under
stand at your age. II seems to me
a good deal as if the Lord really
meant for the young people to have
the good times and for the old to
have the troubles; and when any
body as young as you has trouble.
there's a big mistake somewhere"
"Oh, no." she protested.
But he persisted whimsicaIly in
this view Of divine error YES. it
does look a good deal that way. But
Of course we can't tell: we're never
certain about anything-not about
anything at all. Sometimes I look az
it another way. though. Sometimes
it looks TO me as if a body's troubles
came on him mainly because he hadn't
had sense enough to know how not
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