The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-03-19

10 time. Of course. Never went bark
though. Ny father died and l had
10 take on the grocery and run 1t,
ani--;bat's ALI"
Take you up On that
Claude laughed. Its true. and
that's what's eating me tonight.
Here I've lived my forfy-seyen
years. cautious and careful-lIke.
and never once let 60 and did any
thing real brash. And when ron
get to for;y-seven without anyone
really belonging to you, why It
makes q man think hard. At forty
seven q mans In Z position TO take
a survey Of life, snd-oh, we'll.
what does II amount to. after ell:"
He sighed. Il bet you've done
more In ten days than l have In
all my forfyseven years"
Ned shook his head. You can't
pull that Of with me. G. II. You
forget I've been watching you con-
duct your life and business for
while" He leaned back to survey
this new phase Of the versatile &.
". Somehow. he had never con-
templated Claude Dabbs ~ rest
less and discontented.
To his sssonishment, Claude did
rot wait to snalyze or be analysed
further. He rose. crossed 10 the
door. and Jerking his head toward
the Office announced that he had 10
wrestle with an old account.
Ned. wholly unprepared for this
move. had no time to think OF any
thing 10 stop him but he had no
desire to sit there reading and
smoking alone.
Aunt Lyddy met him In the hall
on her way upstairs. Eight O'Clock.
or half-psst eight. was her houN
for retirement. She looked at Ned
with some surprise.
Going out for a walk. Aunt
Lyddy. Uncle Claude's busy"
suffering Saints. It's bedtime.
Well. don't get into any more mis-
chief than is natural and can't he
helped She yawned a goodnight
as the door closed. and took her
way 10 bed.
Ned went past the lighted win
dow OF the Office, little guessing
that Claude Dabbs was struggling
through one Of the crucial mo-
ments Of hts life.
The woman whom Claude had
seen at the Iron Hand inn might
have evolved herself ont OF the
Polly Johnston he had known. He
wished he had been able to study
her nnobserved and for a longer
time. II 1t was Polly. what won
derful thing life was. To make out
OF that discontinued. ambitious
drudge, the woman he had seen to-
dag He commenced several inn
sginary interviews and stopped
them. laughing at himself. He kept
saying If" yet he felt sure that it
was Polly. He imagined speaking
10 her. meeting her. What would
her face look like as II turned to-
ward him? He remembered how
il had looked this afternoon when
lie saw her in the Iron Hand inn
as she spoke TO the girl.
The girl. Absorbed in the
thought Of Polly. he had forgotten
the girl. Who was she? Had Polly
adopted her. or
Dabbs smote his desk With his
fs' and rose from his chair. He
hogan walking up and down. try
In. 10 piece Polly's life together
thinking. thinking, stopping. begin.
ming again. with a new thread
each time. but all pulled him back
TO the same question
He bent over his desk. writing
numerous letters-all to one wom-
an. Finally he leaned back in his
chair, tore up the last note and
thrust 1t deep into the pile already
in the waste basket. The thing
would not solve itself. He was still
at sea as TO his first move.
Ned, thrusting his head into the
doorway to say goodnight. found
a weary looking, grim mouthed
man. This was SO unlike Claude's
usual face and greeting that he
was puzzled. Claude stopped him.
Don't mind the way look and
act tonight. I've got something on
my mind. Something personal. and
If ! find it'll help any telling it,
you're the one I'll come to-"
I'm your man. any hour of the
day or night. uncle. II l can really
help you out"
When he had gone. Claude closed
the door heavily and went back to
the desk. He gave up letter writ
Ing for the night and sat there,
absorbed In his thoughts.
Go BE CONTINUED.)