The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-02-08

OR "
letter. Hes all right again; Just Al
I've always said he'd be-"
1t was strange that Henry's hear
should have sunk at that, but 1t did
"Oh, that's wonderful" he said Come
In and sit down, and tell me about II.
Il don't believe l can sit down." she
confessed. But she made him do 30
In an easy chair, and light his pipe
Impatiently, she squeezed the tears
out OF her eyes. II don't know II ]
can talk either. You see. he's the old
Joe again, as he hasn't bench,
hardly since you've known him, Henry.
That letter. it was like a boys letter.
a schoolboy's. Some Of the things In
it. you don't know whether to believe
or not. He never cared whether you
did believe him or not. Only laughed.
"He told me the way he disappeared
from that place where Doctor Ben
nett took him. He was walking around
walk away as he was-he had that
money with him, of course-when he
heard a couple of men on thu other
side of a clump Of bushes talking
Spanish-a sort of Spanish-and he
sat down and talked with them. They
were part Of a gang that vas building
q road, a concrete road, right by the
sanitarium. They were being worked
awfully hard, trying to finish that
stretch before frost.
Zone of them didn't like 1t and said
he was going to quit. Joe gave him
SOM money, and promised him some
more, to go to the village and buy
him some common clothes and a razor.
and things, and bring them back there.
And then he shaved off his beard and
dressed in the working clothes. and
went and got a job with the gang, hav-
ing everything interpreted for him
into Spanish before he would under
stand it. He was right there through
all the excitement over his having dis
appeared. He must have enjoyed that
though the work pretty near killed
him, he said.
1T only lasted three or four weeks
before they had to stop on account
of the frost, but he got interested In
roads by that time. Thinking about
them. Thinking about getting some
thing hat would be better than con-
SO he went down to New Jer-
sey to some of the big chemical plants
there, and looked around and asked
questions. Joe can get anybody to tell
him anything, Of course. And Their he
began to get an idea.
He has set up a little laboratory
Of his own-I don't know where he
got the money, but he always kept
some handy-and he thinks he's on the
trail of what's he's looking for. Some
hing that will be cheaper than con-
crete, and just about as easy to lay
when you know how to do It; and as
rood for horses as it is for motorcars.
les almost ready, he says, to go at 1t
n a big way. If he gets 1t, 1t will be
bout the biggest thing there is. He
avs his name is going to be spelled
With a small letter some day, just the
anne as Macadam's was"
You don't suppose he has got hold
+ a thing like that, do your Henry
sked.
She turned upon him sharply.
When he says he has 1t he'll have It,"
he retorted. 1T will be all there,
rom beginning to end-and It'll work.
lis flax process worked. didn't itr"
Henry blinked, and acknowledged
1t did. Then he laid down his
ipe and clasped his hands. Jennie
AS no longer looking at him.
oh, / don't care whether 1t works
+ not, as long as he does-his mind, l
Iean-in the old way. II that doesn't
i'm out right he'll find something
Sc. He says that by fall, he thinks,
ELL need me down there. He will
hen we really get going, anyway"
1t was then she looked around at
enry Craven, sitting very still In his
Isy chair, his hands between his knees.
ie uttered a little cry of dismay, stood
at him for a moment without
owing, n then as the tears came
e went over to him without a word
Id kissed him.
"Oh, l understand" he told her.
lease don't feel unhappy about 1t.
haven't a doubt you're right. And
thing Is spoiled that we've got"
81 love you better than | do him. :
e said, turning away again. AT
lst | think | do. I've never dreamed
marrying him, and never would |
en- if he wanted me to. But in an \
her way-a sort of office way-Tve l
married to him all along. And .
W he's coming back, and wants me Z
aim" e
more he told her In his kindly, !,
assuring voice that it was all right y
d that he understood, but something :,
his look filed her with panic, and =
: said with great emphasis that she II
Ist be running on at once. He made 5;
effort to detain her, but at the door, %
he held it open, he asked:
about lunch tomorrow? Am II
till invited on the old terms?'
OF course !" she said. and he shut Be
dnnr hAhfnI hn~ ~.tIo- ~.t~rr. 49,