The Bozeman courier., 1926-09-17
By Margaret c. Banning

smash Of TIE Dale fortune had been spec
tacular.
She was not wearing the tomato colored
scarf and hat this morning. Her dress
was blue, which was all Kenneth could
tell about It except that 1t was not navy
blue, a color with which his tailor had
familiarized him, and she had another in
consequent small hat dragged down over
her hair. Kenneth remembered the hair
as 1t had looked last night, then recOl-
lected himself tapped neatly on an egg
shell, and began to plan his day. After
ward, as he left the dining room, he glanc-
ed casually in her direction with an
elabOrately arranged for recognition in the
back Of his mind. But she did not even
look up.
The next time. he saw her was three
days later, and all he did then was to
take off his hat and humble a greeting
She was just getting into a car which |
stood beside the curb Of Mrs Davis board |
ing house. 1t was Sunday afternoon, and |
the car was the one belonging to Sidney /
Blair. Kenneth caught her quick, friendly |
nod at him, a glimpse Of still another /
hat, and the casual wave Of Blair's hand. |
That was all he had. Blair had the rest, !
he realized suddenly. They were going
OH somewhere to enjoy themselves, to
seek enjoy ment that they hadn't earned.
He was left with his SOundness of argu-
ment, his unassailable bank account, and
the Sunday night supper Of salmon mayOn-
naise and preserved pears that Mrs. Davis
wOnld provide. Kenneth became restless
and went to his room to think the thing
over, and for a walk on which he con-
demned people Of the Blair type thor
oughly. He saw them everywhere. That
night he stayed downstairs until he heard
/ the Dale girl come in. It was about
eleven thirty. He had the yellow covered
K book in his hand, and met her casually
on the stairs, prOffering it.
/ Here is something I am reading" he
/ said, mendaciOusly, Il think it may interest
yOu( if you haven't read it."
Ellen Dale looked at him with her clear
/ fhnf ri In
when they were tired, discouraged, or
mOcking, eyes which had bewildered and
| disconnected many another man, more ex-
| perienced than Kenneth. She was used
to these maneuvers of men to attract her
attention, but, having just told Blair that
| Kenneth was priceless and should be in
a museum, she was startled.
| She thanked him, and from the express
sion on his face, the quick rush of color
to his cheeks, knew exactly what was
happening to him and what the progress
of the next few weeks would be. In her
own room she put on mauve dressing
gown, and wondered if she ought to let it
happen. But Kenneth was rich and Ellen
was poor, not minding her poverty SO
much as cherishing a fiecre resentment
against rich men who let other men go
bankrupt and suffer and die. What Blair
had said about Kenneth had not endeared
him or his type to her. She decided he
could take what was coming to him. and
if she was the instrument of his discOm-
fort, well, that was coming to her, too.
So, casually, she was in the dining room
next morning when Kenneth came in, and
when he asked her is she wouldn't break
fast at his table, she did so and the old
game was on.
The next few weeks were marred by q
number Of small duplicates all taking
place under the roof Of Mrs. Davis resi-
dent hotel, adopting the nOmeclature OF
that august and prideful lady. One was
that Kenneth bought all the books by the
author who mad written the yellow backed
novel, cut the pages carefully, and read
q little Of them so that he might lend
them to Miss Dale, as from well stocked
library. Another was that Miss Dale said
that she was lonely one evening and had
nothing to do, when she had deliberately
refused to go to three different social
events. Another was that Mrs. Davis look
ed inside the covers of all the books IN
Miss Dale's room, just to see how far tha
affair had gOne-as If she could tell b!
= kKenneth's resemblance to circulating II
:, | brary; another was that that Kennetl
: confided to Miss Dale that he didn't hav
q a car simply because he couldn't satisf!
y himself as to what make to get.
= The last duplicity led to a rather hast
y lily considered purchase Of an expensive
= car, for Miss Dale proffered advice. Ken
= meth bought the car. His learning to rul
. it was a simple matter in comparison witt
q his careful budgeting Of it. He figure'
= out the exact amount Of depreciation Ol
- it each month, the expense Of gasolin
!, tires, and garage rent, and charged
= to the item of amusement as well as t
~ business. 1t did not make much impres
= sion on the items which were catalogue
"a under business expenditures, but 1t swell
N led the amount he allowed himself 10
~ amusement prOdigiously.
81 1t was the car which first gave Mis-
- Dale a qualm. Not that she regrette
the purchase Of the car. That was Onl
decent as she told Blair, who though
In it a huge joke. But the sight of Kennel
h- sitting at the wheel, so ingenious in hi
~ pride about owning and running ca
Al so anxious to play the man of the worl
D. to her on the first occasion he took he
az out in it, was, to her sOphisticatiOn,
ne rather pathetic sight.
nC For Ellen Dale had imagination, and
nt was imagination that was making he
y. valuable to her newspaper and giving he
y a chance to sign her own columns no
IL and then. Besides, 1t was the first tim
T.. that any man had bought an automObi
IA purely because Ellen wanted MIN pO-el
~ cept, of course, her father before hi
en- smash. 1t somehow put Kenneth 1
A lin the group Of men who D'
n, good deal Of boredom during those week
OF listened to some hOmilies which SCENE
%. to her most unpleasant and reactionar
~ reactionary in a world which she shoul
~ W. be progressive.
f af After q little she didn't listen much
q. Kenneth's dictims Of the world and 81
lrl ciety. She basked in lazy thought Whe
he she was with him. She learned, too, tn
"a when she could get Kenneth off his mo
nS- alizing he was amazingly acute, and tn
he knew all about queer financial tral
sactiOns, all about the reasons for su
ler eesses, more about the background
oe- failures, and that he could explain
ms her something OF che money structure (
IN which the society which had ruined b.
20 father rested. When Kenneth forgot
ne mCralize, he talked sometimes as If
70 were a pirate, or a general In charge
ey an army in battle, or a clever bandit.
q She kept Blair informed more or lie
mo Of the way things were going.
iSSy "Are you going to marry himT ask
9y Blair.
It would your"
lao Blair turned on her in astOnishmel
as, ess, His question had been meant to bring
Look here. Ellen" he said, syou
the please remember that that bird is har
ing boiled, selfish, egOtistical, financial va
the pire. Why, my dear girl, don't get a
Of ideas in your head. He'd give you p'
of of shoes a year, and half sole them hi
the self"
Fho II might change him." suggested Ell
or you're crazy said Blair. ''Besid
'ry. you're going to marry me. I've got