The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-06-18
1T WAS
A PUT-UP
JOB
BY MARTHA WILLIAMS
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. X
1ooOOOOOOoOOOOOoOOOOOOOO
20, 1924, Mcclure Newspaper syndlcate.l


classic Penelope-who burst in,
breathless, and sank down wordless
into the chair next the fire.
HAS the North pole moved in to
be next nelghbor to us?" Laurens went
on. "Surelysit feels like lt--no wonder
the thermometer hides its diminished
head. Six degrees mlnus-and coal at
freezing some-however were you bold
enough to come out?"
81 had to-" Nep said huskily.
Seemed like I'd die unless l told
somebody" gasping and swallowing
hard. "And you were the only one |
could tell-because you already know
part of-everythlng."
"You mean-your infatuatlon for
Tom Barron?" Lauren sat upright,
her eyes stormy. Nap nodded miser-
ably-then hid her face In her hands,
saying low through muflle Of fingers.
"He-he tried to run away-wlth
Betty Cross-last night-her brother
overlook them-and shot him. He
he isn't dead-I wish he was-almost"
sobs sllenclng further speech.
Lauren whlstled almost lnaudlbly,
then trying to make her voice sympa-
thetlc, asked. "What is 1t you want,
Neppy7 Something of course"
Money!" from Nep in q shrleklng
whisper. IL haven't q cent-and no
body will buy my solltaire-even If I
could part with 1t. They have taken
him away-to the city-a hospital
there. I must see 'himl Must l tell
you, once again Unless I do-well !
it's the river for me-"
Its frozen over foot thick"
Lauren flung back calmly-though her
heart was racing. She knew Nep clean
through-the girl was neurotic. But
any touch Of ridlcule would be the
cold douche to bring her back to san
fly. She rose and laid her hand upon
her visitors shaking shoulders, saying
kindly. Listen. young person LIS
ten hard You are not going to see
Tommy-untll we know the event Of
the shooting. If It means death I'll
take you to HMM spite of HI and
high water as the boys say. But II
he's due to get well-walt till you
know you'll be welcome. Surely you
have too much pride, not to mention
self respect, TO think Of thrusting your
self on-another girls sweetheart"
II won't wait / can't" Nep
shrleked, then fell to moaning. Lau-
rem drew her to her feet, pulled away
shielding hands, and asked, looking
full in the covering face. "Nep-is
there anything behind this? Anything
vital meanT
"Only that love him so, he's the
only thing vital in all the world" Nep
flung back between sobs. Lauren
yearned to shake her. Not In hard
ness of heart but through shamed pity
for anything so weak. Nep had
habit Of being desperate about some
body, all the time.
If this was not exactly affair one
thousand and four, It was certainly the
latest Of maryland credltable to
sweet-and-twenty. After a sort she
was fate's football-woud come into
money, a handsome amount of 1t, II
only she lived to thirty-fve. Until
then she existed upon scant allow
ance. chronically overdrawn. With
the fortune in hand, Lauren reflected,
Tom Berron would have chosen her to
share his eIopement rather than Betty
Cross with her farm, and a mortgage
or so.
"Do you know what hospItal?" she
asked, her eyes on the telephone book.
Nep whispered, "St. Julian-but
they won't tell you anything"
II think they WILL" Lauren said over
her shoulder. Followed ten tense
manifestation from the other end
came, Barron Obi you mean the
bridegroom. Danger7 None what
ever. A lucky accident to lucky
man we think-if the pistol had gone
of at a slightly different angle, the
wedding which Is Just over, might |
hive been funeralp
Hand over the mouthpfece, Lauren |
repeafed the news, asking afterward. |
would you like to speak to-them-
Neppy7, Nep had listened, turning |
from n snow Image to a lovely pink |
droopings vanished, her |
head high, eyes out-glowing the soil
falre she was twisting about her finger.
II was an automatically for Nep's |
varying wooers. None had felt call
TO suppIant its steady shining.
Unsteady she said, Don't you
reckon that was an accident? Tom
my has nerve enough to shoot
It wouldn't XII. And
ne knew John Cross wouldn't hurt
him any worse-and that, to keep
down a scandal, John would agree to
almost anything. Sol begin to
think It was all O put up job"
mot doubt Of It" Lauren broke
In, rocking with laughter. But don't
you want 10 congratulate your new
married friendsT
Nep shook her head, saying, mo"
rather acknowledgement a minute after
ynrd asked eagerly, "Do you know
where 10 find lobe Watson, at this
time Of day7
"pIease call him. III 20 skating with
~ /