The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-06-24
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Q 1929 ~. NEA SERVICE INC.

she took his three letters and made
the word into hope"
And here's a C. which I can't
do anything with" his father said
with pretended discourag cement, as
he laid the letter in the pool, along
with an "R" and a *" already
there.
And here's an L that's no good
to me-" Curtis gloomed, as he flung
the letter to the center Of the bridge
table.
But I can make it hopes" Nan
triumphed, annezng the IS" from
the pool and discarding another e"
she had drown from the pile Of face
down letters.
"WheWl" Curtis leaned eXcitedly
toward Nan and studied the pool
and her word, Hopes" Locke!
If Father gets an L he can take
Hopes away from you, Nan, and
leave you 'hopelessr Hi! That's a
Joke, Father Get it? It's pun,
cause a pun is play on words. We
had it in spelling yesterday"
Did you also learn that the pun
is the lowest form of wit?" his ia
Their gibed. We'll, what dc you know
about that?" he pretended vast
amazement and triumph. i have
got the l."
Poor Mani Father takes her
hopes away from her" Curtis SYM
pathized. Don't you mind, Nan.
Fathers got some little old three
letter words over there you can
steal. Look! I betcha you can take
his love with a G or an 'R'-Gee!"
/ he marveled aloud. I can take his
love with that r. that's been in the
pool all along. Poor Mani Father
takes her hopes and take his
love before she can"
IT was then that Nan in her heart
/ cried out despairingly: Il can't
20 on like this! III 60 crazy or
runaway. But I can't go on like
thisl Even a silly little word game
stabs me in the heart"
She played on mechanically, her
small face pale and set, her wide
brown eyes blind to so many chances
that at last Curtis demanded re-
sentfully: What's the matter Nam?
You aren't trying any more! Are
YOU mad. Mani You won't let me
be bad sport and sulk when I
lose"
Sorry. darlingr' Nan apologized.
Il wasn't sulking about the game
honest! I was thinking Of some
thing else. You've won again,
haven't you, Curtis? . Fine Sup
pose you and your father play alone
for a while. I've got some work to
do"
And before Curtis could utter half
the protests that we're tunbling off
his cIamorous tongue Nan had run
into the library and shut the door.
Fifteen minutes later father and
son appeared in. the doorway, hand
in hand, the tall man smiling down
fondly upon the flushed, excited
child.
"He's licked me again, Nan" Nor
gan told her. I'm getting even
with the champion anagram player
by sending him off to bed. It's after
g. He's ten minutes to the good,
and gloating indecentIy over hav-
ing won three games straight"
I'm going to take the diction-
airy to bed with me" Nan threat
ened blithely. Would either of them
notice that she had been crying?
Good night, Curtis. Your father'll
go up with you tonight. I'm busy,
darling"
Going over the Blackhull case,
Nan?" Morgan asked cheerfully
Good! There are one or two points
I'd like to smooth out with you, if
you feel like it. Come along,
champ! Oh, all right, but
might I remind you that you've
already kissed Nan twice?"
When he had kone, hilariously,
chummily-her work that!-Nan
stared for long minutes at the mass
of papers on the library desk, but a
thick lens of tears makes a poor
reading medium.
No, she couldn't go on like this
any longer. Why should she? Every
day was torture, every night he'll
of loneliness and crushed hopes
Curtis had put it with terrifying
clarity: Poor Mani Father takes
her hopes and 7 take his love be-
fore she can"
For three months he had daily
given her a tiny modicum Of hope,
only to kill it, by casual goodnight