The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-04-19
The STORY


At that very .uvment Mary said
to her father: II cant bear II, Dad
l hate to take the credit for oil
your ideas and work.. ! want to
scream out that you're my own
truly. honest father, and that ev.
erythIng's yours. felt l would II
! went to another tea with Mother
and heard all those women talk
about Dabbs, the grocer. I wanted
to jump up and say: I'm, Mary
Dabbs.' How mother can sit there
and"
She stopped because Dabbs had
put a hand on her shoulder and
pulled her to him.
MARY, stop being such Z little
Naria-cat to your mother"
Father"
Didn't you know that was what
you minded me Of sometimes: Like
watching u cute little kitten, meant
to be petted till she purrs. walking
alongside u great big Maltese aud
suddenly saying 'Psst! and claw
Ing at her."
He laughed. BY Jimmy, Mary,
how would you like 1t II your moth
er tried to ram some Inan down
your throat! A man you weren't
particularly crazy about. either:"
Mary looked ut him. her eyes In.
tent. She had found her father
worth listening to aud appreciated
his keen insight.
"She married yOu." was the re-
tort that rose to her lips, but did
not pass them. She was afraid Ut
Claude's twinkling eyes.
II think your mothers way Is far
and away the best-fOr her. What
kind of life would 1t be II Polly
pretended? No. thank God, POlly's
an honest woman when II comes to
her likes aud dislikes. Ii she ever
does decide that she'n put vi with
a little more Ut my society. IN be
80 hattered this town won't hold
me.
Don't you see. POlly's attitude
makes 1t easier to keep things 20.
ing smooth just now. Down there
In Peace Valley there are two
camps. One Of them's sitting wait
Ing TO see me get my come uppance
from Clover Hollow. and the other
thinks. Poor old Claude Dabbs 10
being bamboOzled by that high nv.
Ing nephew. Claude's head amt
level yet. what with foreign travel
and being noticed some By them
two settlements. the red.headed
widow and her girl that's gonna
marry Ned" ..a
Il overheard that last part in the
barber shop last night. Good de-
scription Of the SITUATION. amt It?
Well. Mary. don't you see that II 1t
was known that your money 10
really mine. It would spoil every.
thing. wouldn't be. one Of them
any more. But II It's you and Ned
and your mother who are spending,
as fur rs they know. then I'm still
on their side Of the fence. Pretty
lucky. Of course. to be connected
with settlements as rich as that,
but that's easily understood. It's
even q little clever of me. and
Will be used as referee and chan
mel BY which to reach the settle
ment. It's great. / never thought
It'd work out az we'll as that"
But how do look" Mary asked
bitterly. taking your money aud
not owning you:"
you'll get your chance one OF
these days. And it'll be q lot bet.
ter. II the lovely Mrs. Johnston
ever does take 1t into her head to
smile on me, my stock will 60 way
up with the villagers. They'll think
I'm clever. But they'll think the
woman's crazy" .s44.
He reared with laughter at the
picture he had conjured up Of the
village WORTHLESS discussing the 1T.
fair, and Mary followed his ex-
ample.
you'll have to take your arm
away, when we get round this
bend" she warned him. but, oh,
Father. do love YOU"
'D0 you? Id lose everything
have, rather than one hair on your
little head, Mary. And now, mind
the plan we talked over and show
me the kind Ut business head my
girl has. Remember that you and
/ and Ned agreed that it's the reb-
els here and there that keep things
from getting stale and into ruts.
aud we want them IN our midst"
He took his arm away. I'm Dmbbx
the grocer now. hut ri be father
all the way down home"
Mary's head was high rs, accom-.
panied by her father, she faced the
entire community assembled in
Mannheim's living room. As mat
ter Of fact, the community had that
moment been discussing the ex-
traOrdinary Johnston gagement.
In the light ct ~ social expert
nlent.'
One thing Mary was devoutly
thankful for. aud that was that
Dorothy Selden had gone away.
Mary felt that she could not have
stood Dorothy's sneers ,at the gro
Ger.
But now she was speaking. her
fathers eyes On her:
II felt | should make this ex-
PLANTATION myself, and not let it
come through q lawyer. IL am
the Clover Hollow Realty COM
pany: that Is. the majority shares
In that company are now mine, and