The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1926-10-14

oumbs to an attack of d%iphtheris
leaving Lydia feeling that her trust
IN God is lost and her small world
has collapsed. She finds comfort in
the loving kindness of John Lee
Amos, backed by Levine and held
by Marshall, 10 due and csnnot be
met. The child pleads with Mar
shall, and for her sake he agrees TO
renew the note.
"rreTr vOu~T went 70 him today
Pc I'll 90 10 no man again. ]
begged him TO renew the note, but
he insisted his duty TO the bank
wouldn't let him. / told him II
would put you in a terrible fix, that
you'd gone on the note when you
couldn't afford It. He grinned 9
DEVILS grin then and said, Amos
] know you've got nothing TO lose
IN this. If you had, for the sake
Of your children mean Lydia
I'd hold of. But Levine can fix II
upr"
$50 ! could, ordinarily" said Le-
vine In a troubled voice. But II
just happens that everything I've
got on earth is shoe-stringed out to
hang onto that pine section of mine
upfn Be- county. I'm m~Ortgaged
PIP to my eyebrows. Marshal
Knows # and sees A chance to get
hold of the pines. d-n him."
Lydia sat up and rubbed her
eyes.
"Well! Well! young Lydia" cried
Levine. Had q fine sleep, didn't
youi"
I'm awful hungry" said the
child.
"Bless your soul" exclaimed Liz
zie. "T1l warm your supper up for
you in a minute"
Lydia stood with hands out
stretched to the base burner, her
hair tumbled. her glance travelling
from Amos to Levine.
"What makes Mr.. Marshall act
sol" she asked.
"Sho," said Levine, little girls
your age don't know anything
about such things, do they, Amos?
Come here. You shall eat your
supper on my lap"
I'm getting too old for laps"
said Lydia, coming very willingly
nevertheless within the compass Of
Johns long arms. But l love you
next to daddy now, in all the
world"
John swept her to his knees and
put his cheek against hers for a
moment, while tears cleaned in his
black eyes.
Eat your supper and go to bed,
Lydia" said Amos.
Don't be so cross, Amos" pro-
tested Levine.
God knows l am not cross-to.
Lydia of all people in tile world"
sighed Amos, "but she worries over.
money matters just the way her
mother did and I wish to finish
talking this over with you"
There's nothing more to talk
about Levine's voice was short.
Let him call in the loan, the fat
hogl"
Lydia slept the long night
through. She awoke refreshed and
renewed. After first adjusting her
self to the awful sense of loss,
which is the worst of waking in
grief, the recollection of the con
~versation she had heard the night
before returned with sickening Wv
idness. After she had wiped the
breakfast dishes for Lizzie she
stood for a long time at the living
room window with Florence Dom
hey in her arms, staring at the
lake. Finally, she tucked the doll
up comfortably on the couch and
announced to Lizzie that she was
going skating.
An hour later, Dave Marshall
heard his clerk protesting outside
his door and a childish voice say
ing, But please, Just for a minute.
He likes me. He truly does"
Then the door opened and Lydia.
breathless and rosy and threadbare,
came into his little private office.
She closed the door and stood with
her back against it, unsmiling.
"I'm in quarantine" she said,
80 | won't come near you"
why LYDIA exclaimed Mar
shall, where did you come from ~
Hone. Mr.. MafSnall, won YOU
fix daddy's note if he gives you
me7"
Huh" calculated Marshall.
"You said last fall" the child
on, her voice quavering but
ler eyes resolute, that If daddy
ever wanted to sell me, you'd buy
I think I ought to be worth
thousand dollars. ! can do so
much work around the house and
Ielp you train Margeryl ] can
york hard. You ask John Levine.'1
Marslal's fat face