The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1924-02-08

Il unle. IL was USleSS 10 pTelenu tnal
he did not still love Billie more than
ever, because he knew he did; and
now, rs the truth swept owe him for
the hundred and first time, he groaned
hollowly and gave himself up to the
gray despair which Is the almost in
separable companion Of young men In
his position.
So engrossed was he in his medita-
ton that he did not hear the light foot
step in the outer Office, and ii was only
when II was followed by II tap on the
door Of the inner Office that he awoke
with a start to the fact that clients
were In his midst. He wished that he
had taken his fathers advice and
locked up the office. Probably this was
some frlghtful bore who wanted to
make his Internal will or something,
and Sam had neither the ability nor
The inclination TO assist him.
Was 1t too late to escape? Perhaps
if he did not answer the knock, the
Brighter might think there was nobody
ut home. But suppose he opened the
door and peeped in? A spasm Of Ma
poleonic strategy seized Sam. He
dropped silently to the floor and con-
cealed himself under the desk. Ma
poleon was always doing that sort Of
thing.
There was another tap. Then, as
he had anticipated, the door opened.
Sam, crouch%l like q hare In It's form,
held his breath. 1t seemed to him that
he was going TO bring this delicate
operation off with success. He felt he
had acted just as Napoleon would have
done In q similar crisis. And so, no
doubt, he had to a certain extent only
Napoleon would have seen to 1t that his
boots and about eighteen inches OF
trousered legs were not sticking out,
plainly visible to all who entered.
Good morning" said a voice.
Sam thrilled from the top Of his head
TO the soles of his feet. 1t was the
voice which had been ringing in his
ears through all his waking hours.
Are you busy, Mr.. Narrower asked
Billie, addressing Ine DOOtS.
Sam wrlggled out from under the
desk like a disconnected tortoise.
dropped my pen," he mumbled, as
he rose to the surface.
He pulled himself with an effort that
was like n physical exercise. He stared
at Billie dumbly. Then, recovering
speech, he invited her to sit down, and
seated himself at the desk.
dropped my pen!" he gurgled
again.
"Yes?" said Billie.
Fountain pen," babbled Sam, with
a broad nib"
Eyes"
"A broad gold nib went on Sam,
with the painful exactitude which
only from embarrassment or the
early stages of intoXication.
Really" said Billie, and, Sam
blinked and told himself resolutely that
this would not do. He was not appear
ing to advantage. 1t suddenly occurred
to him that his hair was standing on
end as the result Of his struggle with
Widgery. He smoothed ii down hast
The old fighting spirit Of the Marlowes
now began to assert itself TO some ex-
tent. He must make an effort to APP
pear as little Of a fool as possible In
this girls eyes And what eyes they
were! Golly! Like stars! Like two
bright planets In 49,.
However. that was neither here nor
there. He pulled down his vest and
became cold and businesslike-the dry
young lawyer. y
"Er-how do you do, Miss BennettY
he said with a question in his voice,
raising his eyebrows in a professional
way. He modelled this performance on
that of lawyers he had seen on the
stage, and wished he had some snuff
to take or something to tap against his
front teeth. Miss Bennett, 1 believer
Billie drew herself up stiffly.
YES" she replied. "How clever of
you to remember me-"
II have a good memory"
How nice! SO have IL"
There was a pause, during which Bill
lie allowed her gaze to travel casually
about the room. Sam occupied the N
remission by staring furtively ut her
profile. He was by now in a thorough
ly overweight condition, and the
humping of his heart sounded to him
as IL workmen were mending the street
outside. How beautiful she looked,
with that red hair peeping out beneath
her hat and -. However!
SIS there anything l a do for you?"
he asked In the sort Of voice Widgery
might have used. Sam always pictured
Widgery as a small man with bushy
eyebrows. q thin face and a voice like
q rusty file.
swell, I really wanted to see Sir
| Mallaby."
my father has been called away on
| important business to Walton heath.
| Cannot / act rs his substitutes"
do you know anything about the
lawY"
"Do I know anything about the law y
-N~oH CAM or,o1aI NnnV lnnu, Z