The Bozeman courier., 1927-11-25
published by special arrangement with tt
Chicago Tribune Syndieate)
IN TWO PARTs-PART ONE

a
at least a state capital, gave the
wrong impression of him. Certainly
his looks did. He was handsome in a
way which presupposes high romance,
with the bearing that has oddly sur
vived from days of armOr to eve
nings of dinnercOats. In repOse his
face fell into exalted lines, deeply
virile and almost stern as if he medi-
tated on important things. But, as a
matter Of fact, he rarely meditated
at all, or found any reason for doing
so. He was more apt to have an Or
derly trickle of little tanned thoughts
going through his head, proceeding as
much according to schedule as the
hands around the face of a clock and
with equivalent excitement.
Peg O'Brien had been completely taken
in. She was probably not the first girl
to whom that had happened because OF
Calhoun, but it happened to hera with
extra severity because she met the world
so head-on that any collision was apt to
result in a smash.
After waiting two days and carefully
going over the things Calhoun had said
as well as the way he had looked when
he said them, Peg began to check up.
who's Calhoun Hastings?" she asked
Ethel Byrd, who knew every one by vir-
tue of long residence and close applica-
| ton.
Ethel hit at the vital spot, and she
had quite knowledge Of social anatomy.
Hes the Hastings flour mills" she
said.
would have sworn he was human, 4"
sighed Peg, "but these machines nova
days do fool your
| Ethel ignored the f1fDDancV.
Hes one Of the incest men in town.
Not bit spoiled, in spite Of being so
"And what makes the jolly miller so
"Well," Ethel generalized, eff you're
unattached and look the way he does,
you're rather apt to be. He's not terribly
rich for it isn't a big concern. But he
has plenty and every one likes him. He
has just the same manner for every one. "
"Oh," said Peg. ST wondered about
that. It's such a cordial manner. How
does he happen to be loose, anyway?
Is he blighted or has he got girl? TIC
be exact, is he sitting up with any one
now?"
Ethel shook her head.
mot likely. If he sits up with any one
it's probably at ten cents a point He
lives at the City club. No. He's beer
often shot at but never hit. He doesn't
want to be married, but he gives girl:
an awfully good time. There are meI
like that, you know" finished Ethel
: gathering him generously into the schemt
of things.
! The O'Briens were newcomers, the!
4 dated back to the old days, too, whel
the city'S heirarchies were in formation
Jeronimus OBrien had left the city a
that time, to increase the fortune he hat
already founded. He was man Of bi
ideas and wandering impulses, which hat
led him in and out Of riches severa
times since then.
). Now, when there was little money left
after all his exploits, and his spirit wa
confused by grandiloquent memories an
broken by failing health he had insiste
!. on coming back to the place from whicl
o he had started. No one could do mucl
o for julie, her older sister, who had bee.
;; battered out Of hope in some wretche
: marriage which had finally cast her upo
her fathers bounty again.
II The OBriens had rented half doubl
b house. 1t was not an attractive hOus
J. but it was cheap and in their first week
: there a good many limousines, mostl
n belonging to people who had not left tn
IF city to seek wider fortune, drew up i
= front Of it, while the owners called an
- sized up the OBrien situation. The vel
= dict always got down to two things, bein
:, sorry for old Jeronimus and nice to Pc
IN It was clear that the family burdeI
- were falling on Peg. She was obvious
and after the house was settled 81
r turned up at the biggest business COLES
St one morning, paid her tuition and Sc
= tied herself to learn shorthand and tyl
Us ing. Every one soon knew about tina
= but it romanticized her rather more the
X ever.
People like Ethel Byrd, recalling inc
E. dents which had been told Of the WI
the OBriens had formerly lived, found
aI good deal Of dramatic contrast in tt
0. situation.
- "Stay for dinner" begged Ethel, eye
- always amuse Dick sol''
y; Peg shook a resolute head, but 81
gs looked about her a shade regretfully,
g. Ethel's house was growing very lovely
. Ethel learned to cOndense and Selei
and her dinners were always good.
~ ''No. I've got to go home and do Il
tie clicking on the typewriter. Their
one sentence about My aunt who was
large lady Of amiable temperance
which never comes out right. That's t
twenty-third lesson, you see. And MI
have it by tomorrow. Also I'm not
good in the speed tests"
She left Ethel on that unregeners
note, refusing her final offer Of at le;
a ride home. 1t was less than a mile
in walk and she wanted to walk sol
.nd things out Of her. Peg was tWenty-fo
lIssyy and not too inexperienced about me-
The She'd had her share and she thought S
ing knew a stuffed shirt when she saw o.
:er, Apparently, she told herself scornful
NE she did not.
ock She put Calhoun Hastings out Of /
Of mind with a resentful shake, dropp
loI lon the thought Of him on the pavement a
to walked over it all the way home.
If julie was in the hammock. She had
en- headache, she told her sister.
Seb you lie there and I'll get suppe
100 said Peg.
Co., TITS all ready. I went around to I
- delicatessen and got some things ther
NJ ,l1- "Oh, Julel That stuff costs so mU
3o 3ox and it's so tiresome. could have ma
an Omelet and creamed some potatoes
all no time"
'ar- "Why should you kill yourselfP"
ing jected julie. "It's so much easier
-. way"
1Oett 10Tt julie had forgotten butter, so Peg
mer her turn had to go to the delicatess
ces. the little corner shop that was tribut
. to the three or four big second 7
apartment houses and the room
1o8 houses and the lazy housekeepers v
had homes, but didn't work in then
= Peg despised the women who bou
;ned there, some Of them, doubtless, yol
and married women with a chance to C
! ! 6s on in their own kitchens, and broil ste