New Britain herald., 1923-05-12

aRd although her suit wsS not sEpeR-
size, II Ras worn with an air and was
perhaps as fstehiag as any that had
ever come 10 Wichita Fails,
Wei, son, there's a ha0m an and
the toHR has gFawn s0msi but
guess things are about the same as
when sou left EN-" Tom spoke
with pride and satisfaction as he paid
the driver, took RaFhaFa's suit ease,
and opened the gate fer her,
The girl turned from her FIRST long,
appFsising gaze al the modest home,
No change, indeed. The paint on the
house was Reeling, cutters had rusted
out some az the porch flooring had
Tetted through, the yard was an un-
kempt tsngle Of matted grass and
weeds and neglected shruhhey,
1T hasn't changed mite" she
said, hraVely,
4 moment later she paused upon
the threshold, tense, thrilled, apparr
entity speeehless, This time II Was
more difficult 10 counterfeit an eE-
elamation Of JOY,
why. everything 10 right where II
belongs How wonderfully you've
kept house. You must have a per-
feet Jewel of a girl, dad"
II let Aunt Lizzie 60 bout three
years hack" Tom explained, ''she
-shiftless and been sort az
hatehing II since Clean. though,
amt it,"
barbara turned, hlindly she walked
to the center table and hurled her
face In bouquet OF wild flowers gar
nered from the yard, She held II
there for a moment before she spoke.
"You--didn't even forget that ! love
blue honnets, did You, dAds"
"Bohs room was saved for the last,
and old Tom stood back. glowing AZ
her delight, He could not refrain
from showing her his blaekened
thumb. nail--the price OF his carpen'
try--for he hoped she'd kiss II. And
she dii.
Not until she had "shooed" him out
and sent him downstairs, did she give
way 10 those emotions she had been
fighting this long time; then her face
grew white and tragic. "oh. daddy.
daddy" she whispered. What have
done TO you?"
Tom Parker had raised his girl like
a son, and like son she took hold
Of things. but with a daughters tact
Her intuition told her much. but she
did not arrive at full appreciation
OF the family affairs until she had the
house running and went down to put
his office In order. Then. Indeed.
she learned Mt what cost had come
those four expensive years in the East,
and the truth left her limp.
Tom was mortgaged 70 the hilt. his
royalties were pledged; crow could
not pick living out of his insurance
business.
Something had to be done. and
quickly: new hand was needed to
mend the family fortunes. barbara
determined to lend that hand.
After fortnight Of careful con-
sideration she decided to enter the oil
business and deal In leases.
Wen be partners. dad. You run
the insurance and I'll be the lease
hound"
Say" Toms eye frightened.
"I'll put a desk right alongside of
mine--a little Teller Just your size
and a nice lounge In the back room.
where you can lay down when you're
tired. You been away so long it
seems like I can't have you close
Another thought presented
itself, and he manifested sudden ex-
element. II tell YOU! I'll get
new sign painted, too! Tom and
Bob Parker. Real Estate and Insur-
ance. Oil Prop'ties and Leases
Gosh! It's a great idea, SON."
CHAPTER ~.
In Ranger Town
A year before this story opens the
.own of Ranger. Texas, consisted of
| weather. beaten, rundown railroad
station blacksmith shop, and a |
hitching rail, town enough, inciden-
tally, for the limited number Of !
people and the scanty amount Of mer- |
chandise that passed through. The
few farms and ranches round about
we're scattered widely, and life there
on was grim struggle against heart
break, by reason Of the gaunt, gray,
specter of the drought
Biologists had claimed for some
time that there must be coal In these
north Texas counties, contention
perhaps based upon comfortable be-
lief in the law of compensation.