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

She didn't feel at all sure she liked
the taste of Joe. She found his real
istic moments unpleasantly acrid; his
egotism. naive; and his prudery-for
she'd been aware that she'd sometimes
shocked him-ridiculous. She admit
ted the attractiveness of his looks. his
surprisingly good speech, his vigor and
freshness, and the queer miscellany
that formed his background: the
Jungle. and the musical-comedy stage
that he bought pictures, and had never
been to Europe, and knew Sorolla.
This was how her palate reported it
about as boys palate reports his first
taste of strong drink. She didn't
reckon on anything in her. behind her
palate and capable of overriding Its
report, being concerned In the matter.
But, even on that first morning, she'd
been forced to ignore as Irrelevant
some rather queer sensations and inn
pulses she'd had.
1t annoyed her to learn that Joe was
a married man with a grown daugh-
ter; she lost her temper with John,
who told her about 1t. He's probably
got five or six wives" she raped out.
zone in every port, like a sailor. /
suppose one of them is trying to put
him in jail and he's come to you
And I'd bet you've said you'd help him
out I"
She would barely listen to Johns
detailed explanation that Greer's mat
rimonial difficulties were, compare
lively speaking, respectable, and 1t did
{hot in the least placate her when she
heard. Respectable ~ she fumed.
That's the beastly second-rate vul-
garity of It, Why do you think they
have to marry those people?"
When she heard about Beatrice, and
Joe's wish to enter her in a smart
school, preferably Thornycroft. where
Dorothy was, she fairly boiled over
What affair was it Of his, or his daugh-
ter's, where Dodo went to school?
How did he even know Of the school
unless John had been babbling about
1T? But of course John had been
Given the man all the details, no
doubt; Miss Hoods address, himself as
a reference, everything
whats the harm If l did," he
asked He couldn't get her into that
school in hundred years-not in ten.
anyhow. And next years all that mat
tiers to u.s." IL wasn't this argument.
however, that had the effect of pulling
mis- wife up short; 1t was his look Of
curiosity at her. What was there for
her to be so disturbed about?
She, herself, couldn't understand
why she'd been so bitter about 1t nor
why she went on thinking and feeling
that way. She tried to make out that
she was angry with herself for being
angry, but the intricacies of this abb
straction were little beyond her. Pre-
posterously, what warmed her into a
friendlier feeling for the man was the
outrageous surmise that the girl
mighIn't be his daughter, after all, but
some little fun he was trying to palm |
OFF upon them, under cloak no one |
would think to look beneath. She |
found this notion rather entertaining, |
though she didn't take 1t seriously |
Well, she didn't take him seriously, |
eitherl
She didn't pass 1t on to John, for
she had a clear premonItion that he
wouldn't think it funny. She didn't
1t funny, either, but this didn't prevent
her mentioning 1t to Margaret. expert
Margaret took 1t In the most sur
prising way; fairly flew at her over 1t.
THAT'S like you, Violet" she said
when, after a tight silence, she spoke
at all. Her voice was brittle with
anger. and her eyes were dry with 1t.
How long have you been telling that
sweet little story?"
The mere impact of the charge took
yiolets breath. 81 haven't been telling
I at ALL" she protested. Il only just
hought of It, II struck me as anus
ng, and | said It,"
at will be frightfully amusing for
Ter, won't it?" There was no quality
# reflection in Margarets voice, not
wen the thinnest veneer to give 1t a
urface. '"ro find a story like that go
ng round young girl, alone as
he is; even her father a stranger to
er"
ut isn't going around" Violet re-
terated Then, with short laugh,
S she recovered her balance: "Oh, II
is, it's not my doing. But it's,
atural enough thing for anybody to
hlnk Of. who knows what he's like.