The Holly chieftain., 1924-04-24
Joseph Greer and His Daughter

| Ill Hot SIeep1DS mucn. He CoH
fessed. Haven't since l got that
crack on the head last winter"
Indeed. the amount of whisky II
now took to insure him even the be-
ginning Of nights sleep was so great
as to have begun whispering an I'm
patiently unheeded warnlns)
"Of course" he added. on a new
note, this thing Of ours doesn't make
it any easier"
They were really alone for once. 1t
was Sunday night. A big purple storm
cloud. driving up from the southwest,
had. with fash or two of lightning
and a sudden patter of rain-drops.
driven the rest within doors. He and
Violet had fingered outside TO show
the good faith of their combined pre-
dietion that the thing would blow
around. as 1t now showed signs Of
meaning to do.
"vlolet," his voice dealt with the
words roughly, "what do you do? How
| do you manager
"My life, you mean?' she asked. ~
play bridge"
II mean about your husband"
'We're perfectly good friends" she
| told him. after silence, but that's
all. There's nothing new about that
It's been that way, practically, for a
long time
you said that day at Henry's that
1t wouldn't have meant much to me-
what l hadn't done the other time. 1t
| would have. but didn't know it
then. This is as new a thing to me
as 1t Is to you. It's changed every
| thing. That means It's got to come
| out somewhere. You've trusted me.
and you can go on trusting me. but
we can't stop here-and we aren't
going into the ditch"
"I don't know where we are going"
she said, hopelessly. There's no
place we can co."
The words ended In sob, and in
| an instant she was in his arms. He
kissed her, too-not as he had done
on the earlier occasion, but gently,
reverently almost.
IN wait" he said. II think you're
the gamest thing in the world; and
when the time comes, and you're
ready, you'll do the thing that's there
in front of you to do. I'll wait till
then"
She rose then. and they walked
slowly toward the house. But before
they got within the luminous zone
from the lighted windows, she stopped,
and kissed him fugitively once more.
She uttered little laugh as they
moved on again.
"We're acting like pair of chill
dren," she said.
1t is true one would hardly have ex-
pected just this white flame of ro-
nance from these ingredients.
Joe went back to Chicago early the
next morning, and left for the North
before the end of the week. He
didn't see Violet again until October.
Henry Craven went up to the VIII
liamson's for the weekend over the
first of August, and had very jolly
time until John caught him in the gun
room. He noted Johns reluctance to
come to the point Of 1t. Finally he
said, II think you had better indOrse
your shares in the Greer company.
and bring them around to me. Then
If l decide to dispose of mine, can
sell yours. too"
"Sell it?" Henry echoed, astounded.
"Oh, it's like every other business"
John went on, evenly. ITS ques-
tion Of getting in and getting out at
the right time-and usually the time
for getting out is too short. I'd hate
to have to go ashore and leave you
behind. You know all about that
trick Greer played to get control.
Well, whenever find myself in one
of these industrials that l don't con-
troll. always wear life-belt. that's
all. And I think yOl had better put
course"
"Of course I'll bring you the shares"
Henry said. They're really yours,
anyhow. I've never paid for them"
But he knew he wasn't Disgusting his
profound unhappness over Johns
suggestion. He got up, literally
trifle giddy, and moved toward the
door. "All right" he added. "I'll bring
all my shares to you in the morning."
There's one important thing" John
said, the words checking Henry's hand
upon the latch. This has got to be
kept absolutely quiet. II Greer or
Miss Macarthur should catch on to
what's in the wind, there woula be
the devil to pay. Better not speak Of
1t to anybody-not even to Margaret
or Violet Henry nodded, and went
out.
Jennie's principal concern that sum-
mer, was the problem Of marketing the
raw flax which they were under con-
tract to buy as II was delivered during
the fall and winter by the subsidiary
companies. There was going to be
lot of it---over thirty million pounds
and the only comfortable way to
| handle 1t would be by securing in ad-