Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-07-28
THE STORY

-tion to her mother, the girl, Mary" Is
Iastonished by that lady's emotion at
the mention of Dabbs' name. The cook
arrives, and Mary, with Ned. goes to
the village for groceries. They are
seen by Dorothy Selden. Mrs. John
1ston, worried over financial troubles,
As potnered oy Dorothy, who warns her
there Is something suspicious about
Ned Carter.
CHAPTER Where is something
about Mary vaguely familiar to Dabbs.
and he is highly Interested in village
gossip concerning the mother and
daughter. Mrs. Johnston accompanies
Mary to an inn for luncheon. Dabbs
sees Mrs Johnston and is obviously
Derturbed He informs Ned he has
something on his mind that he would
like to tell him.
CONTINUED from last weekly
Claude Dabbs stared before him, his
lips moving. After awhile he lit his
cigar, crossed one leg over the other,
and began to talk, In an even voice,
quite as though he was continuing his
narrative to Ned from the point he
had left off.
Next morning l went out for a
stroll before breakfast, and to seattle
In my mind plan meant to carry
through quickly, before Polly made up
her own mind We'd talked lots about
everything, but nothing was settled
"Nobody1l ever know how wonder
full it was to me to have Polly to talk
TO. 1t changed everything. There
wasn't girl In Peace Valley could
ealk as she did, none knew, anyway !;
and the short while I'd been at Rut-
gers ! hadn't met any girls, except
Polly. She made me realize that we'd
been fond of each other for long
time, though 1t had taken this to
bring US together"
Claude looked up at Ned, who with
Il languid movement of his hand re-
moved the cigarette from between his
lips Claude noted idly that 1t was
not lit He glanced at the wall above
Ned's desk. A small photograph in an
old-fashioned frame hung above It.
It was that of lovely young country
girl, with character behind the young
loneliness. She was Claude's mother.
"You see. Ned. I'd always been
queer about girls. | liked 'em, but
expected a good deal of EN- Not
every girl pleased me. Sounds con-
ceited, but l don't mean 1t that way.
1t wasn't that-it was Nom"
His eyes turned again TO the photo
graph. ITS one Of those things you
can't find words for. It's feeling.
Anyway, Nom gave it to me about
girls, and Polly was the FIRST.
meant she should be the last. l felt
that If we were careful enough about
explaining our marriage to Nom she
would understand and be pleased. But
she never knew.
"NObOdy'll ever know how wonder
full life was to me that morning. ]
hadn't forgotten Pop, but since I'd
told Polly just how l felt about him,
and she'd tried to comfort me, could
bear 1t easier, because Polly under
stood. | forgot all about her money.
1t never entered my head. l only
thought of Polly. When l was going
out, she kissed me and said:
Claude Melnotte, is your home lit
by alabaster iamps?'
n thought she was just fooling about
my silly name. She'd read the play.
you see. / hadn't, then. i just told
her they were Rochester lamps. When
/ thought about 1T, as l turned back
toward the hotel, l wondered II there
was more to her question than just
lamps-something behind it.
thought she might have been turning
over In her mind whether she'd live
with Nom, or insist on having a sepa-
rate house for Just US two. / didn't
care. She could have her own way
about that-and most everything else,
too. But I've read the play since, and
I'm pretty sure that there was catch
In It. Her question. l mean. Its the
part where he's blowing about the
house he's gonna take her to. All
lies!
''She wasn't down In the dining
room when / came back from the
walk, but she'd told me to give her
plenty Of time to pack, so / went up
to her room. She wasn't there, and
her trunks were gone. / went to in
quire at the desk. They said the bill
had been paid and Polly had gone,
bag and baggage, to the station, half
an hour after I left"
Claude paused, knocked the ashes
from his cigar, and without looking
UP, went on hurriedly: SIN not ask
Ing for sympathy. The girl served me
right, and know 1t as well as you do
I've told you this, Ned-and you're
the only one / have told-because
want you to know the worst Of me.
"Polly knew blame well l couldn't
follow her, seeing she had money and
had none. Her lawyer, all these
years, has refused to give me any
clue. But she's never divorced me.
Unless Pm much mistaken, the Mrs
Johnston who is uD at the White house