Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-12-20
Riding the Whrlwind

lour cover. kicking under the cot one of
the small silk cushions. No pajamas.
Well. B. V. DIS could serve, one night.
As he lay flat on his back, his hands
serene over his chest. he heard the soft
scuf of a slipper outside the door. He
grinned in the dark. n fell asleep.
In the morning he banged ostenta-
tiously into the bathroom. From the
orner of his eve he saw Lucy patting
into shape the davenport pillows. When,
after a leisurely bath and shave, he
strolled toward the kitchen. q spring
breeze pulled out the silk curtains of
the living room windows, and a steady
murmur came from the closed door of
Mother Trotter's room, her voice and
Lena's.
Virginia sat demurely at the kitchen
window, her eyes wary. expectant. Lucy
turned from the stove, almost as If she
dreaded to look at him. Walter pricked
up his nose. That smelled like-it wasl
real coffeel He sat down. looking at
Lucy. The cords Of her smooth white
neck were tense; the clash of confused,
struggling impulses spilled sudden color
into her pale face.
Say it." urged Walter. as he started on
his orange.
Lucy dropped on to the bench oppo-
site him. her hands clutched in her lap
SO tightly her shoulders trembled.
IF you. her voice hummed-"if
you'd only said you had to have that
room-instead of in-insulting them that
way-w-with mules right on the
"Graph?" finished Walter. "You knew
I wanted it. l had to work last night.
Couldn't wait to explain"
Locking the door, l wanted to speak
to YOU"
"Yeuh. I was awful busy" Walter
poured cream over his breakfast food.
You aren't sick" Lucy glanced help
lessly at Virginia. She couldn't Just
bust out, with the child there, thought
Walter.
Never better. Hurry up, jimmy. l got
to make a good start this morning. Oh,
that's so, it's Saturday and no school.
That's good coffee, Lucy" He smacked
his lips n set down the cup as Lucy
dabbed at her eyes with the fringed yell
low napkin. He didn't want her t o cry.
Steady, now; he heard a warning whis-
per; don't spoil everything.
Can / have some more?" he said,
loudly, and Lucy rehlled his cup. her
face averted.
You didn't even put up the car" she
said. Il Just wanted to tell you that,
last night"
Why. SO I didn't What do you think
of that?" He drained the second cup.
left his napkin in q rumpled wad, and
rose. Should he tell her, or wait till he
saw Simons, and things were settled? He
patted her shoulder and opened the hall
closet for his coat. From that inner
room came the low murmur. a little in
termittent now. Going to stay under
till he went. were they? He
chuckled as he pulled on his coat. Sud-
denly Lucy flung herself at him, her
hands gripping his arms.
Are you-really all right?" She shook
at his coat sleeves, her face quite pale
again. tears in her gold lashes.
Sure" Walter kissed her. Not the
usual morning kiss, but one with SAVIOR;
tear salted, he thought, as Lucy pulled
away, darting back into the Kitchen.
Good by, Jinny!" he benz for a hug
from his daughter.
Yes, there was the car, trickles of night
moisture on its hood. Too bad Jimmy
wasn't riding down with him; she'd ap-
prectate h way he cut ahead of that
truck-try to take the right OF way,
would it? How tina clear air SANG In his
earsl
Walter drew up in front Of the office.
He'd made good time this morning:
Clement wasn't in yet. He nodded care
lessly to Miss Emmons, found the office
boy staring at him with a queer dupli-
cation of the look in Lucy's eyes. He
must have heard that final conversation
with Clement yesterday.
Walter pulled the telephone bracket
toward him as he sat down. He'd call
up Simons shop n have a package
made OF the things he wanted. Simons
might have some more news.
Then what Simons said was battery
acid dropping on the surface of Walter
Morgan's confidence. He a spoken toe
soon. The directors weren't ready tc
take the first patent. The failure of thai
other company had scared them. They
wanted to wait until Morgan had per.
fected the elimination.
Hello, Morgan? You there? You heal
me?"
20, my God, yesl" said Walter, hi:
tongue ash coated. Hear your"
They're keen about it. Want to KEEP
the option. But they're scared, see?
told EN- another week, maybe. Ill senc
your bundle round for you"
Walter hung up the instrument gin
gerly, as If 1t were hot. He collapsed
little in his chair, his chin down on hi
necktie. He was spinning round anc
round the sloping sides of a black eddy
down swiftly to the bottom of the vor
tex. What a fool. what a fool he'd been
Thinking he was something, was some
thing. He lifted his head, queer lines o.
white under his dilated pupils, his nos
trils wide. Drunk, crazy, and now? The
light at the front Of the room seemed OBJ
scured; as his eyes focused he saw tha
Clement and Arner were standing befors
the window.
The Office boy thrust his face ints
Walters line of vision. Mister Clemen'
says will you come down front"
Walter dragged M hand over his chat
and slowly pushed up to his feet. Want
ed to fire him, like as not. After wha
he'd said yesterday. He rocked an in
slant on his heels, dizzy from the cata
cylsmic, whirling descent; then he walked
the length of the office, trying to cas-
his shoulders back.
"Arner's been telling me-" Clement
tone was suave, man to man, that he
thought over your talk yesterday"
Thought 1t overl Walter looked at tn
cigar that dragged down a corner Of Ar
ner's mouth. Thought 1t over, like tn
rest of the world, and this was the morn
ing after.
He wants to take the opposite orner
too, in his wife's name. He says"-dit
Clement wink, or was it a trick of Wal
ter's eyes?-"that Ii half you said Is s.
he can't afford not to take it. ] told hin
you'd make out the papers, 1t was you
deal. Just have Miss Emmons run OF
the deeds"
Miss Emmons produced the proper pa
pers. She could take 1t right on he
machipe If MFR Morpnp didn't mind cOm