The Bozeman courier., 1926-10-01

to the last one, and were scornful and
superior toward the trees that had no
Tonight was the fifth time that Oracle
could remember having taken this walk,
and as she hustled about after the excur-
sion and filled the shack with greasy,
| pleasant smelling smoke, she discussed it
thoroughly with her vague parent.
Honest" she complained, eff people
amt going to have better trees than them,
don't see why they. want to get out on
a cold night like this for. There was
only one place that didn't look like some
body was dead in it."
The place to which she referred was a
great white house adorned with stone
animal heads and Greek frieZes which to-
night had suspended proudly from its
arched portecochere a huge electric sign
which wished the passerby merry Christ
"Who lives there, daddy2' she asked
"BfOngs to the felier that owns the
Blue Ribbon" elucidated Mr.. AxelrOd. 81
guess he must be worth good lot Of
ssWho says so?" demanded Oracle.
80, some people told me-" her father
! answered vaguely. He was prOpped up
back of the stove, his hat shading his
eyes as he read the evening ink sheet.
Just at the moment the paper was open
over his knees at a full page advertise
ment: the Blue Ribbon department store
wished every one a happy New Year,
and hoped they would attend the sale OF
WuAtc SOOuS AhueuAdIc4y bA5 nOAA-
Mr.. Axelrod read the composition to his
! daughter. He always read her everything
: ! in the big type. They liked to hear each
others voices, and as Oracle was too busy
. with chicken and her father with the read
ing to pay much attention to the content, 1t
3 was a successful arrangement: itraIgg % TO MI; MT;
he would have enjoyed a Chinese news
! paper just as much had the hieroglyphics
: aroused as familiar and soothing sensa-
: tiOn.
Il "He's a swell locking fella, too," Oracle
: remarked after a moment. Every time
go in there I see him walking up and
? down the store. Blieve me, I'd just as
! soon marry a man like that. Then you
Z could just walk in the store and say gimme
: this or gimme that and you wouldn't have
!, to pay nothing for EN-"
This was worth thinking about ap-
- parently, for Mr.. AxelrOd discontinued
3, his reading, and looked Oracle over ap'
70 praisingly.
n In the long in terval between the compile,
u ton Of the evenings preparation and the
appearance Of the first customer they spec
p ulated upon the advantages OF being mar
ul ried to man who owned a store like
* the Blue Ribbon. No wonder Oracle wal
It. as surprised and disconnected as If shl
had been caught Breaking his huge plat
+ when Mr.. Blue Ribbon himself had wslkes
n into the shack, demanding, in a loud ant
superciliOus voice, chicken that was al
= white meat.
s. I say that this respectable gentleman
r WdAkeu III, Out perhaps IQlS is an unOer
statement, for what he literally did was t
- reel in. And Oracle recognized the maj
th she had seen walking up and down tn
20 Blue Ribbons gorgeous aisles.
se. He was an offieiOus little man, fat Il
n spots and not unlike one Of those bOttOT
heavy dolls which refuse to lie down. To
n night the Illusion was increased for b
an sWayed family with no partiality as
r. direction, as though IL some one remove
the weights from his great round abdo
. men he would keel permanently over an
never again stand on his own initiativ,
A There was a small Uranium, a large Jaw
ne and two superhuman ears-a comic va
"a entine OF q man with a pigs head. Blu
~ he was affable, and tonight he was OF
"a sessed with the idea Of himself not q
lot a comic valentine but as a person {
importance.
II He announced that he was celebratin,
and asked at large IL it were possible tbs
m Oracle and her father did not know hin
zoo Il should say" answered Oracle n
or- assuringly, 'why, you own the Blue Ri
bon. always notice you around ever
- time I go in there"
IL Oracle had made this speech in fu
SSe possession OF the facts in the case. it woul
~ have Indicated an extraordinary subtlel
,fo and tact For Af. .&ibePt PomeroY did D,
ar own the city's biggest and best depar
ment store. But from eight in the mori
. ing until six at night he owned Il
- departments Of which he was In charl
4ll-notione, perfumes, hosiery, gloves, ur
III Drellas, dress goods, and mems wear. Grac
had flattered not only him but his positis
III In life. He beamed. For q moment
stopped bobbing around and focused u
blinking eyes on Oracle.
HI mot exactly he managed, resumil
his teetering, Il don't exactly own it.
ran It. Blue Ribbons got the mon
and / got the brains Mr.. Pomeroy's vol
rose to 3 sort Of confidential shout al
81 lappointmene