The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-11-06
1HAr
TIMELY
LICK
By DUFORD JENNIE
O. 1924. Mcclure Newspaper syndicate,

Out you won't nave to live with
him p
"No"-accented with snort-"but
l will have him underfoot just the
samer
But just what have you against
him? He earns an honest living II
he does 1t playing a piano instead of
putting up buildingsr
1T isn't the way he earns a living.
| haven't any use for such a chapl
He looked like plain d-u-u-de to me-
Look at the way his hair shines
plastered back as If he soaked 1t with
grease"
That's because he has a cowlick-"
Another snort. HE hasn't cow
lick all over his head, has her
Mr.. Heney looked at Margery. and
Margery looked at him. Then he rose
from his chair and drew her to him
tenderly.
"Lassie, I want you to marry a real
man. not one of these pale macaroni
eaters You come of red-blooded
stock. men who weren't afraid to get
Into the dirt and CRIME and make
good. Now this Laren Cloughton-I
can't go himl"
Ing how deep in her fathers heart
was his love for her. and realizing just
why he was opposed to her lover.
She explained the situation to him
that evening.
Loren laughed. then Immediately
grew sober. "It Is funny and yet,
sweetheart, it's bad business; I know
you won't marry me without your ia
TIERS consent. and l certainly won't
ask you to; and the chance Of his
changing his mind is pretty SLIM
know his kind"
Margery drew his arm about her
shoulder. "We can simply wait and
hope"
His gray eyes softened. Every
month we wait means just so much
Of happiness gone. l wonder what he
wants me to do. If looked like
sloppy weather, wonder II that would
please him? do like to feel right and
look right-my mother was to blame
for that"
She kissed him suddenly. T want
you Just as you are. Father Is a
crime himself. He's so careless that
It takes mother and me to keep him
looking respectable. No-he just feels
as If you were, as he says, a 'du-u-de' !"
Loren grunted, and sat In thought
for moment Say. honey, will you
agree to take your dad for a walk
down the avenue tomorrow"
HE usually takes an afternoon
stroll down the avenue. But why7"
Never you mind! have an Idea
Now. let's talk about happier things !"
he said, grinning in the boyish way
she had always liked.
She was tingling with curiosity
when the time for the stroll came.
She often walked with her father,
whose vigorous old age had been
made possible. so he argued. by walk
ing instead Of "roosting on his spine"
as he put It. .4.
As they turned a corner they came
upon a group of men digging a sewer.
The sun was hot. and they were
stripped to their shirts. Her eye
caught the outline Of one athletic
iUUhihk DdCA, LhuSNtSu, WIN
smooth skin much whittier than the
others. Something seemed familiar
about the head, and she looked again
and then gasped. It was Loren.
swinging a pick like an expert.
BY that time she had gone BY with
her father. She looked back, and
caught a glimpse of Loren's grimy.
sweaty face, saw his eyes twinkle, and
saw that the cowlick did seem to he
all over his head.
Her father saw nothing, evidently.
and she was at first on the verge Of
telling him; then she realized that
such a move would spoil the game
She steered him back. but his mind
was busy on other matters concerning
which he chatted, and It was useless
to try to sidetrack him.
She called up Loren that evening.
He explained: "Gosh. Honey, can't
60 over. I try to keep In shape at
the gym, but my backs about busted !
guess I am a dude after ALL Don't
put him wisei Take him down to-
morrow I'm going to show him just
for the fun and spite of It. He's
bound to see me. The foreman tells
me they are going to shoot that sewer
right into your dads property, and he'll
come around all right and tell 'em
what he thinks of the city govern
ment."
SO Margery and her father strolled
BY the scene of operations the next
day, and the next. but Mr.. Heney evil
IDENTIFY never dreamed of such possi-
bility as the "du-u-de" he disliked
down in ditch swinging a pick. Two
more days passed. and Saturday came.
In despair Saturday noon Margery
called Loren. His reply admitted de-
feat. 1T was a kid stunt, lass, I
guess. I've fried my skin, broken my
back. and the deuce of 1t is I had to
pay that Irishman for letting me work,
and this week was one Of my vacation
weeks. Don't mind II I snifIle. No
moro of this grand -Stand stuff for me