Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-08-12
CHAPTER x
The Panty

II Baxter came back that night
Caleb never knew. Baxter kept the
door of his room locked. Caleb heard
him casually mentioned at the club
as being on "a tear" Doctor Fields
inquired for him once directly OF
Caleb.
Hell get cirrhosis Of the liver, If
he keeps on" said the physician.
"And he'll SNUFF out like match in
the wind We must get him on the
wagon. I'll try and scare him into It.
Though there's real cause for the
scare. He'll stay or the stun for sew
eral months sometimes. There's just
one thing he cant resist and that
starts him of. Worst thing he could
take. Champagne. Fortunately it's
scarce and expensive. You1l under
stand my talking to you this way
They say you and Ted have been
friends for a long time"
But Caleb doubted very much II
Baxter would listen to him until his
mood changed. And he was busy
with his own problem OF the pipes and
the tides.
He had an Idea OF what was needed
II the bottom sloped evenly the big
tug at his submarine pipeline would
come in mldchannel, looping It back
wards and forwards Bot, wherever
there was depression or a channel.
his pipes would sag and great strain
come on the joints. A flexible line
that was what he wanted He wOrked
over II daytimes and dreamed OF n
nights without coming TO practical
solution. He wanted to complete his
plan, to come before the meeting with
all difficulties solved
Then one. day he received an invi-
tation from the Yedders to a radio
party.
1T will be quite Informal" wrote
Mrs. Vedder, but I think you will en-
JOY II and we hope you can come.
Some friends of yours will be with
us. Betty Clinton and Carmen Wilson
among them. Don't dress. Come any
time after eight o'clock"
Caleb accepted. He found himself |
eager to do so at the mention Of Betty
Clinton's name. The afternoon Of the
dry the solution Of the pipe /
problem came to him. II seemed to
him that thoughts of the girl had blent
with his tinkerings and drawings and
luickened his invention.
lie sketched out his idea and made
some specifications that he took
Town to a working machinist with
whom he had got in touch. A model
VAS to be made. The thing was sim.
lie enough though an entire novelty
n such work. Caleb Intended to
make his pipe functions flexible by
designing a ball and socket joint so
hat the curving ends Of one pipe
hould be clasped in coincIdIng curves
4 another, working in soft babbitt
METAL, giving a play Of almost ninety
egrees. This would make the pipe
Inc as Timber as a sprocket chain,
'aIeb believed.
The Vedders lived on Semaphore hill
D a house that consisted OF enc great
Dom on the ground floor together with
kitchen at one end and a conserva.
Dry porch at the other. An open stair.
ase led to the upper floor and the
edrooms. A japanese servant met
I'm at the door, which was screened
n from the main room, and relieved
aleb OF hat and coat. There were
,me thirty people in the room and
icy all seemed to be laughing and
liking at once, split up In little groups 7
D dIvans. standing by the fireplace,
= the grand plano. about table
here the Japanese was now serving
inch out Of great bowl Of mandarin :
are. Smoke traiIed everywhere. from a
pes. cigarettes, cigars and from
lcks of Chinese punk.
CTo BE coNTINUED.l Q