The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-02
There were other guests, includ.

ing DIR. Al0nzo Il. COWper, LII,
Ph.D., LID, than whom it was not
possible to imagine human being
radiating more cordially. He was
delighted that Bunny had passed his
examinations successfully, and
Charmed to have been able to oblge
his father, and again delighted that
Dad was pleased with his sons
progress. When they were alone
he ventured some playful remark
about Bunny's red measles, and was
much distressed to learn that the
patient had not yet recovered; he
took occasion to question the young
man-was it really true that the
reds were making such alarming
progress in Angel City? DR.. Cow
per wanted to talk about these
stockings doctrines in the same was
that a small boy wanted to read a
naughty book.
BuMy was not called into the
conference between Old Pete and
his father, but on the way home
Dad told him about 1t. They were
having the DEVILS own time; buying
a government was not SO simple a
matter as they had thought. Every
body had to have 'rake-off," all
the way down the line; by golly,
the very Office boy that brought you
a letter about the matter expected
a ten-dollar bill! Bunny took the
occasion to plea, why not get out OF
the thing, surely they had enough
money But Dad said they were In
too deep, the thing had cost him
personally nearly six hundred thou
sand dollars, and it was real money,
and 1t had hurt. No, they would
go thru with it, and when they had
got the leases it would be all hunky-
dory.
Two troubles had arisen. The
naval reserve lands had been under
the control of the navy department,
and It had been necessary to get
them shifted to the control of Sec
rotary Crisby. There had been a
question whether this could be done
by executive decree, or did it re-
quire an act of congress. The Of
ficials were making a lot OF delay,
but Of course it was just hold-ur,
they wanted more money for this
one and that. Old Pete had sent his
son on to Washington to act as pay
master. The other difficulty was
that some little oil company had
got onto the Sunnyside tract-ths
one that Verne and Dad we're to get
and had started drilling under an
old lease. They would have TO be
elected, and it must be done quietly,
they must fix matters up with the
newspapers somehow. Verne want
ed Dad to go up there and look
the ground over, and maybe he ana
Bunny might make trip OF IT,
Sunnyside was going to be the
\ worlds wonder of an oil field-it
would beat Paradise many times
over, and when they had got it
safely tucked away Dad would take
good long rest.
+ VII.
There was a telephone call for
Bunny-he was to call long dis
tance". in a city hundred miles9up
the state. When he did so, there
was a nurse in hospital, with
message from BERTHE; she wanted
him to come to her. She was not IN
danger, and there was not use wor-
rying the family, therefore she
wished him to say nothing about
the matter. Bunny of course jumped
into his car and made all haste.
His sister had been visiting the
Norman's, long way from this hos
pital.
When he got there the attendants
told him that BERTHE had had an
operation for appendicitis, and was
doing we'll. He was taken up to her
room, and there she lay, pale and
Z strange-Iooking because he had
never seen her without her colors.
Everything about her was spotlessly
clean, lacy white nightgown, and
soft white pillows in which she lay
sunken-nun-1ike, and pathetic In
her gladness to see him. Gee whiz,
BERTHE, How did this happen?
at came quite suddenly. 1t was
pretty bad, but I'm all right now.
Everybody's been so good to me-"
I There was nurse in the room, and
BERTHE waited until she had gone
out and closed the door. Then she
, / fixed her tired eyes on her brother
and said: 1--WE call 1t appendicitis,
because that's the conventional
thing, and what you'll have to tell
!, Dad and Aunt Emma. But you
might as we'll know the truth
was going to have a baby"
! "Oh, my God!" Bunny stared at
$ her, aghast.
!. "You needn't begin acting up
, you're no spring chicken. Bunny
"Who is the MANI"
, Nov, don't start any melodrama'
! You know it might happen to any
4 body"