The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-11-19

obituary notice, and his humps had been
the amazement of all behOlders.
Now, Kennedy had no mind to AXE Lois
to the tune Of ChOpin's Funeral March,
but he didn't seem to know just what to
do about it. The business CT love, he found.
was being played along certain old and
well established lines, and nobody had ever
put in any modern improvements. Every
man did what every other man had done
before him-fOr centuries! No matter how
obsolete the methods, they were followed
slavishly. The procedure was that of feudal
lord and slave-and the feudal lord was
not enacted by the male of the species
This was a direct departure from bust
ness procedure in the universe, and it was
galling-very CALLING.
The only way Kennedy could account for
the cOwardly inactiOn of the class in which
he found himself was that when stakes are
high fear enters in and, with fear, q eau
ton that amounts to paralysis.
And he wasn't any more original than
his competitors. In spite Of his best efforts,
he was unable to q himself more notice
able to Lois Allen than the next man. He
was compelled to bring his devotion
tied with the same kind Of string. He
thOught-and some of his friends thought
that it was different" but Lois seemed
to be obLiviOus Of the fact. She absorbed
devotion with the sort Of impersonal in
difference with which a blOtter sOps up
water.
WudC SIampeQeQ kennedy was LnaC every
living thing had been done before him
PERHAPS in a better way. If he left a book
asking Lois rather diffidently If she had
read it-she would thank him prettily and
gave It to me last Saturday. He's leaving
for Alaska tomorrow. Poor old Jenkins -
Kennedy flinched and suggested the
theater.
give seen all the shows" said Lois re-
gretfully. isn't it awful! Tom Fuller took
me for the third time to the FOllies last
night"
And so it went. His roses we're always
preceded by orchids. His candy by fudge
which she liked better. His compliments
had been more cleverly turned by Stark
well, who wrote for the magazines.
Kennedy to himself late one afternoon
when he called for Lois in his gray road
ster to run her out to a house party on
Long Island.
AS she came down the steps 1t seemed to
Kennedy that there was a certain swOrdlike
quality about her. Slim, silver bright, and
I-perilOus!
She was dressed in gray stuff that looked
like a silver sheath, and she had one OF
those large, Hopping hats that he hated
because they concealed her eyes. Her eyes
were extraOrdinary-sea green under 8
lowering sky, but blue when she laughed
a wicked. bewitching, tewel-like glitter OF
blue that startled a man-and the lashes
were so black that a raven might have
drawn a wing across them.
When Lois laughed Kennedy was mOst
afraid of her, though 1t was when she was
still-if he had but known it-that he hat
most cause!
She slipped into the seat beside him ant
waved at her mother, who was standing a
"GOod-by," she called, and kissed heI
fingertips. She was full Of the poetry o.
motion, and Kennedy said something Of tn
sort as he started the car.
When ne was with her he was possessed
NV q daliphffu1 fnpIinO Of pXhilQrQtiOn
Hope went rampant. OF course he'd win
He'd always won. Hope couldn't lose.
He looked at the little white chin show
ing under the gray hat. 1t was a delicious
chin to wonder about. Dominating, per
haps; perhaps a bit stubborn-it curved NJ
so firmly to the young mouth. And what
mouth! Delicately bowed and slightly red
dened by an unnecessary lipstick.
Kennedy despised that lipstick, and We
it tantalized him.. She would get it out il
the most impossible places and pOut he
lips in a way that made a man want t.
break all the ten commandments
He had always eXecrated lipstickS, bu
there was something about the one sh
called hers that was distinctly original
and the way she smeared the paint Of
with her finger and then tilted her fac
in his MISUNDERSTANDING
She was an inscrutable creature for on
so young. tn will to deceiye-to mask
something about Lois Allen that fOreve
set a man at a distance-allOwed cOmpan
IiOnShip across barriers.
Kennedy had not thought much {
marriage, yet far back in his subcOnscious
ness he knew that it was a big woman b
was after-a mother Of men-not pybmie
He had something urgent, insistent
him that predicted achievements gOin
forward. He had a sneaking feeling tbs
= Lois Allen wasn't the wife for such q MAJ
In the stock exchange they had a
axiom, "Let go before you have to-" Kenni
dy was considering 1t now. Next month
or next week-Or tomorrow even wouI
people be saying of him: Poor Kennel
he's off to China-Or Alaska-Or Timbul
Z Uu@"K Kennedy had always had a peculi'
aversion to Timbuktu. He had never pi
tured himself going there.
n He looked about him. Gray stilines
V T~wilight-at it's old work Of putting o.
the day. 1t seemed to be listening-waitin
l. The hours of whispers.
u He sighed. 1t was the. thing he did be
j. nowadays.
1 Along the smooth ribbon of the road Il
1r car sped. The trees on either side tried
re catch it. 1t seemed to Kennedy that {
n. misery in him was appeaSed by spec
There was something solacing about
y He had an idea that it knew"
And yet his hours alone with her we
few, and they got way from him ev
= as the car sped. Time-darned old mis-
u making suppliants of men An hour here
a moment there. Clinging, beseeching.
little longer-just a moment more.
Id Kennedy looked at Lois. She had toss
* aside her dropping hat. Her little head W
tenderIy bOyish. Slick waves Of jet bla
a hair tumbled down to her blue eyes in
straight bang, and the locks cut in
! even line across her neck curved in bla
= half-mOOns on her pale cheeks.
= She had been quiet for a long time no
u, and Kennedy was Jealous Of her though
wv He would be leaving her in a half no
at the latest, and there was so much
OS say. He was as full Of words as a ballO
of gas, and he seemed to have no way
get them out.
y They were passing the country estat
n and the twilight was growing deep
n. GhOstly gray ruffles spread across I
horizon. tenuous shadows adrift, break
ND in little cool kisses on the blue.
= Kennedy thought of the good old pretC
of the clutch. He stopped the car a
mentioned it.
ne 'There's something the matter with
- | nlrAnh . 10 said sI1ra nnf To oct down