The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1929-07-19
Hosea VII, z.

"Mr. Crandon is so anxious t
meet you, dear" she said, and triet
to sound very casual about ii
HE feels sure he could be o
great help to you in all your per
plexities-and-er- emotional up
sets"
Mrs. Thorne h~esistated deli
cately.
Mr.. Crandon?" Sybil crushed
her napkin, and rose Indignantly
to her feet. "Now, mother, that's
rather the last straw! It's moi
enough that everyone in Boston's
talking about me--but my own
mother"
Mrs. Thorne flushed. Its part
of the course, Sybil." She defend
ed herself lamely. 81 tell Mr..
Crandon everything that disturbes
me. Naturally I would discuss
you with him."
Well, of all the idiocies! Tad,
can't you make mother see what
a perfect fool she's making of her
self?"
Sybil turned wrathfully to her
brother. For goodness sake"
she begged, don't let Crandon in
on this. He's utterly %unscrupul-
Gus. He'll be selling a story
about my ego to the papers first
thing we know. Oh, Val, why did
you ever bring mother to that
man."
Mrs. Thorne pushed her roast
beef plaintively away, and began
to cry softly.
Sybil flung from the room, and
upstairs. They heard the door of
her room slam, and then the whole
large house seemed strangely
quiet.
GO on up, VAL" suggested Tad.
Mother and 1 will have our cot
fee in the drawing-room. See if
you can't persuade Sib to come
down"
Valerie brushed the top of Mrs.
Thorne's head with her lips.
Don't feel badly, M OFT ell
Thorne," she consoled. "Sybil is
fearfully upset, and she doesn't
know what she's saying. Just
wait till l tell her we're having
strawberry shortcake for dessert"
Valerie ran blithely upstairs,
and opened SYPHILIS door quietly.
She lay across the bed, with her
face buried in the pillows, and the
taffeta bedspread dragged to the
floor.
"Sybil." Valerie touched her
lightly on the shoulder. I'm aw-
fully sorry about Mr.. Crandon.
Maybe it was a misunderstanding
your mother to him. But, honest
ly, Sib, l think he's done more
good than harm. He may be a
fraud and all that don't know
but he's saved Mother Thorne
from neurosis.
"She was simply pining away,
Sybil, and right on the verge of a
nervous breakdown, when Mr..
Crandon began feeding her egos
and things. She perked up on in
hibitions, and took a fancy to COM
plexes. Now she absolutely eats
up psyche, though of course she
hasn't the vaguest notion of what
it's all about. But it's been aw-
fully good for her, Sib. And /
think you ought to give her her
little fling with poor, decrepit old
Crandon. AS for selling a story
to the papers-why, Sybil, he
wouldn't dare
Sybil raised a tear-stained face.
"Oh, l suppose he wouldn't"
she admitted. ITS only that
Mother drives me simply crazy"
Valerie laughed. Your mothers
put up with a lot from you, Sib,"
she said. And l guess it's your
turn now. Things work out that
way sometimes. But listen, Sybil
here's the thing l really want
to talk to you about put
on some powder, and sit up =.
| want to talk about Richard"
Valerie pressed her crimson lips
firmly together, and all the soft
pink faded from her cheeks, leav-
ing them white as the frock she
wore.
THAT contemplate cad is hold
ing his affair with me over your
head" she said. 81 know he is.
1t would be so exactly like him.
And | had rather make a clean
breast of the whole business, than
let Richard blackmail you. I'm
going to tell Tad everything.
Then we can tell Richard to go
to the devil"
Sybil raised herself on n ell
bow from the rumpled nest of lace
and taffeta pillows.
"Yes?" she said, and raised her
eyebrows. And what would Tad
Valerie's face crimsOned.
ooh, he'll say plenty" she adj
mitted. But that's my funeral,
Sib."
Sybil sat up. and swung her feet
. ~ ia &C A. Rod Thnn