The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-12-21

r her. OF her weak resistance and he
, broken, mo. let me alone" he tool
: no account at all. but picked her vi
bodily, carried her to his special BIZ
chair. and sat down In 1t with her IL
his lap.
Put your head down." he said, II
his vibrant voice, 'and cry as long al
you like. And then. when you're ready
tell me all about It."
She didn't want to cry any more
Indeed. surprised at being taken ur
like that had checked her tears-bul
neither did she want to talk. She had
for just that moment, no sense OF
grievance, against him or against the
world Everything else was swallowed
up in the sensation of his comprehen-
sive embrace nothing even remotely
like that had, In the whole length Of
her memory. happened to her before.
This didn't last long. Her conscious
ness, so deeply submerged In this new
element, came floating to the surface
again. She was aware Of the prickle
of his beard upon her wet face; she
| WOnQPTeu IL lie WIS
Il expect It's just ionesomeness
that made you feel that way" he said,
and she noted, even then. something
forced in his tone Of reinsurance, as
II he were managing q small child.
you've been sitting around by your
self all day, with nothing to do and
nobody to talk to. Well have to tackle
that problem somehow"
She told him, without raising her
head, that this was bad guess. 1t
hadn't been an unoccupied day at all.
She'd gone to party.
Margaret Craven's lunch" he said.
II know" (She was sure, though,
that he'd forgotten all about it, But
| guess you can feel lonesomer at a
party than anywhere else, II things
don't go just right. What went wrong
this timer
"Oh, nothing much" she said, over
a catch that had come back into her
breathing. She wished he wouldn't
ask her questions; just go on, holding
her still. She felt, from the move
ment of hfs beard, that he was smiling.
"Did you wear the wrong sort of
hat?' he asked.
y guess So" she agreed, DULY.
"She as good as told me So"
"Oh, d-ni" she heord Joe murmur
Then, with an edge In his voice, "You
don't mean she was really-impolite
to you. unfriendlyf"
"Oh, no; she was all right" Beatrice
told him. "She offered to take me |
shopping with her. Show me where i |
could get the right sort Of things as
If she could see plain enough mine
weren't. l suppose that's what you
think, too I wish you would go
shopping with me-"
"What makes you think / know any
thing about women's clothesY" he de-
manded, but In a tone she recognized
as not serious. 1t had joke in 1t for
his private enjoyment. OF course.
he'd probably bought clothes for all
sorts of women, but that wasn't the
sort of thing he'd expect her to guess.
"You want to take up that offer of
hers" he said, after a silence. "She's
/ mighty well-dressed woman herself,
and she hasn't had much to do 1t on,
| guess. I'm sure she meant 1t in a
friendly way. And she could give you
he right dope about lots Of things"
II don't care whether IT'S the right
iope or not" she persisted. II don't
want her telling me what to wear. !
want you to-" She slipped her free
lrm round his massive shoulder. "Will
you go shopping with me. Dad?" she
aid You'll know what you like any
low, and that's all care about"
He Rugged her up tighter at that.
All right" he said, otis a bargain.
Ven go some day, the first chance
We GET There was silence for a
While after that, but he hadn't, as she
loped, done with the luncheon. did
he have anything else to sayT he
Isked, and the girl perversely asked,
'Who?"
"Why, Margaret Craven"
She thought he'd hesitated little
'ver the use of the name. "Oh, moth
ng much" she told him.
He waited for more; then he asked
Who else was at the party.
II wasn't a real party, she said.
There were only two other girls be-
ides herself. One OF them was named |
Stannard; she pre- I
ended to be crazy about farming. And {
he other was Dorothy Williamson.
whats she like?" The question I,
vas asked on so different note, with I
UGH an appearance of personal con-
ern, that Beatrice sat erect and {
ooked at him. "Why," he explained. l
she's wiiliamson's daughter. that's :
one into business with me. He's got t
picture Of her, a chalk, on the wall v
( his office. Very pretty girl, I'd have t
aid from that. Anyhow. I'd like you t
, make friends with her" t
swell, I'm not likely to-" she said. l
She's little up-stage snip; that's t
hat she is. And she Isn't pretty c
lat is, not very. l got enough Of her a
,day to last me a long time" She
,se from his knees at that, and n
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