The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1927-06-10
Waited Until He
Was Grown Up
Bv H. IRVING KING

T. that is. everybody who count
ed-was filled with that pleasur-
able excitement which comes TO so
ciety In a small town when a new
and unexpected piece OF gossip
pops up. ROckdale was o suc1
a very small town, either. IL d
ten thousand inhabitants ana q
bank. The bank was a branch OF
q great financial institution in the
neighboring city and was managed
nv Lorenzo Downing. The news
was that "Ren Downing-for TO
Rem ha his Lorenzo shrunk on the
Inns of his fellow tOwnSmen-was
going to marry Mary Carfax. 10
renzo was thirty-one and Mary was
twenty-eight.
II all started from Matilda La
gree happening to see the bank
manager and Miss Carfax talking
earnestly together in the post-office
lobby. Matilda tried to edge near
enough TO overhear what they were
talking about. She heard-or
thought she heard-Lorenzo say:
~ have looked forward to this for
q long time. We may consider II
settled then2" And Mary had
dropped her eyes and replied,
eyes" What did it meanf What
could 1t mean2 Only n thing
and off sped Matilda to spread the
news.
What the bank manager and Miss
Carfax had really been talking
about was the taking over Of the
local bank at Plympton, a Ian
gushing institution six miles away,
nv the big bank in the city Of which
Lorenzo's bank was a branch, and
consolidating the said Plymouth
bank with the branch bank at
Rockdale. And Mary Carfax had
a large block of stock in the Plymp-
ton bank which Lorenzo, as agent
for his employers, was anxious to
purchase from her.
ITS the most surprising piece
of news l ever heard" said Mrs.
Atherton Gage over the teacups
two hours later to Mrs. Roger Elem
ing and others. "Why, I don't be-
Iieve they have met each other a
dozen times since Rem anne back
here to take the bank. They used
70 know each other as children, of
course. Let me see: Rem went
away about ten years ago after
his uncle, Judge Peleg Downing,
died and did not leave the fortune
Rem and everybody else was expect
ing the boy would get. From that
time. until Rem came back, I don't
believe he and Mary ever met"
Annie White was one of the first
70 hear the news after 1t had been
promulgated by Matilda Lagree.
Annie was a character, an institu-
zion. She was to ROckdale what
the wandering minstrels YER to
the Middle ages. When the mis-
tress Of the house heard that AN
ME White was in the kitchen" she
always found an excuse to visit
that region. When in pursuit of
her calling Annie was afraid of no
man. Half an hour afte" she heard
Matilda Lagree's news she met Lo-
renzo on the street and put it to
him plumply: mfr. Downing, are
you and Mary Carfax going to get
married."
Lorenzo gasped, stared at his
questioner for a full minute in ST.
lence. appeared to be thinking
quickly, replied Eyes"
That afternoon Mrs. Sam Rogers
called Mary up by telephone to
Congratulate" her.
"Why, what are you talking
about?" said Mary Indignantly.
"Oh, it's all over town. said
Mrs. Rogers. annie White was
just here and said she met Rem
Downing on the street and asked
him if it was true, and he said
Yes"
Mary was mad clear through"
She called up the bank and told
the clerk who answered the tele-
phone that she wanted to see Mr..
Downing at her house "just as soon
as he could make it convenient"
"Why did you tell Annie White
that we were TO be married." she
asked frigidly when Lorenzo put
In an appearance.
Because 1t is true" he replied
doggedly. Now just sit down and
listen to me. I have been looking
for an opportunity to reopen an
old matter between us which was
never satisfactorily settled. Do you
remember that evening ten years
ago, when you and 7 watched the
sun set from High Rock hill?
There vas the scent of new-mOwn
hay from a neighbOring field from
the woods came now and then the
sound Of q bird singing its good
night song. The sky was flaming
with colors that mingled and melt
ed and faded into a great purple
dome in which the stars came out
and we were young"
'Yes," replied Mary in a soft
ened voice, 81 remember It,"
and I asked you to be my wife,"
went on Lorenzo land you laughed
at me and said not TO talk foolish /;
I was only a boy to wait until /
was grown up In the meantime
would probably find some one l
liked better-as you were very sure
YOU would find some one you pre-
ferred to me. ] haven't found any
body l liked better, Mary-have
your"
"Well, no, | don't think I have,
Rem" replied Mary, hlushing, But
YOU have been back three years
now and never-and was hOT ng
Won wOuld-to tell the truth"
II was afraid to speak. Mary"
he answered gently. THE risk was
so great. You treated me in such
an Offish manner. | was too cow
ardIy TO take the plunge 1t meant
81 much TO me- He reached out