The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1927-09-16
One Whole, Long
Month
BY RUBY DOUGLAS

FOu dlilCld dShcu Dls
Tom Singleton Of his lovely com
panion, Patricia Reese.
For two reasons" she replied
mysteriously.
Because, l suppose even in your
bassinet you had a patrician air?'
he tainted.
The girl laughed-a delightful
ripple. "No-that was not one OF
the reasons, true it might have
been"
"What then?"
MY OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES first
grandchild I was-was named Pat
rick"
"Yes?" the man said.
"And-I was born on the seven
teenth day of March, st. Patrick's
day in the morning." she replied.
liltingly.
treason enough-Tm satisfied.
Put | insist that my guess is the
best reason of the three"
For which-thank you," MUIR
INJURED Patricia.
This was the frivolous converse
tion that had been a part of their
early acquaintance. Now, after
three years of more than friendship
Patricia was beginning to wonder
whether or not it would have been
better if their acquaintance never
had become more intimate than it
was in those playful days. She had
been engaged to Tom for two years
and she was afraid-to marry him.
That she loved him, she never
doubted for an instant, but that she
would never have the patience and
courage and endurance to teach
him to control a temper that had
been allowed to grow wilder and
more unreasonably destructive with
each of his formative years, she
doubted. 1t was the only reason
she had not married him before
now. She was fearful lest, once
married, he would cease to make
the effort to overcome his violent
disposition. What the waiting
amounted to, really, Patricia had
often told herself, was a season of
probation In which they could both
learn whether or not they cared
enough to strive-and overcome 1t
together.
"I'm paying an awful penalty for
my temper, Pat" Tom said to her
one day in a season of remorse
after an unreasonable outbreak.
Patricia was silent. 1t never &C.
Cured to him that she, too, might
be suffering. Perhaps she would
have liked the comfort, pleasure
and security Of a little home Of her
~, -,4fh tho ronr chm Jnx,oI
II suppose / have set myself back
further than ever nowf he asked.
Patricia looked at him with the
same level, kindly understanding
expression in her eyes that she al
ways wore on these occasions.
Sometimes she wondered at her
W patience to forgive him. And
yet-in her heart-she knew he was
not wholly to blame for the hold
this temper had on him before he
a old enough to think for him.
self. She had known other mem
bers Of his family.
"No, Tom, I really believe you
have made great progress In two
years. You try-and you frequent
ly succeed. That's improvement.
isn't It'll"
He nodded, muttering ruefully,
"Some-I suppose"
"If I said I would marry you II
you could be good until-well, say
until my birthday? Would that be
any encouragement"
Patricia" the man cried, leap
Ing almost across the room to seize
her hand. "It's what l need-as-
surance that you really will marry
me some day-after ALL"
"All right then, Tom, we will
leave it that way. We have our
lives to live, we want to live them
together-and I'm getting tired
and lonely, myself-waiting-and 3,
forgiving. Wouldn't 1t be worth +,
while to try-for me, dear7" she !.
a plaintive note in her voice
hat he had never heard there be-
fore.
The next holiday came with It's
vivid accessories and Tom and Pat
'icia were invited to a party with
/ group of young people they had j.,
Known for ."esrs. ,
A cold March wind had blown |
Up during the day and the Their
nometer was dropping fast. !
There had been signs of spring
md winter precautions had been
lone away with, even to the elm :
of antifreeze fluid in the ,
'adiator of Toms little car. l
When the dance was over and v
Tom and Patricia came out to go S
ZONE, the motor would not start. t
t had chosen this day in its last \
lour to freeze! :,
Tom tried every vile he knew of :
0 induce the car to go, but it would
lot. Even in the dim light from n
he dash Patricia could see symp- a
oms of his rising temper, his red [
ace, his narrowed eyes, his quick F
,reathing, his sharp movements
nd tone. :
There was nearly n half hour of !
infinite patience on her part and L
Ieroic effort at control on his be- a
ore the Of getting home
vas finally decided upon. h
At last, Patricia won and they r
,ermitted themselves to be towed =
o a garage some three miles dis Il
ant. y
Meantime, Tom had remembered y
rhat it would cost him to lose his t
emper-and. he, too. had won the n
attic. y
zone month from tonight, then?' =
yere his last words to her.
"Yes, dear, one whole, long g
lonth-and We'll be married. n
7hispered Patricia. "Tm not Y
fraid."
tCopyright.1