The Bismarck tribune., 1929-04-16
RUTH
DEWEY GROVES

!, lieve 1t II I told you all, but you can
bet 1t was enough to convince dad
that we had a dangerous woman
around, so he got rid Of her. It
wouldn't be so bad IL Harold was old
enough to know what he's doing, and
besides, he's not exactly strong
minded, which Is no compliment to
Miss Lawrence. She'd have looked
better picking on Z man."
\ + \
And that was just the criticism that
Stephen couldn't overlook Mildred
wasn't in love with the boy. Some
how he was sure Of that. He had no
idea that she was In love with him.
self either, but, well, she hadn't been
exactly i'll pleased to see him, he re-
membered. If she were crazy about
Harold she wouldn't have any time
for guy whose tailor might as well
have left half the pockets off his
suits for all the need he had Of them,
Stephen reasoned. No, 1t looked as II
Mildred wss trying to eat her cake
and have it too. Stephens sporting
instinct couldn't aSsimilate that. But
1t was hard to understand.
He decided he'd better keep away
and give Harold his chance In q clear
field. Worse things could happen to
the boy than being married for his
dads money. he reflected, thinking
how charmingly Mildred had fitted
into home background.
The memory picture stirred up 4
sort Of vague longing In him for
something like that in his own fu-
ture. Not an uptown flat, but little
early American cottage, say, with
real bay window. a dog that could be
taught to jump through one Of those
half-and- half doors when the upper
part was open, 4 few yards Of dirt to
dig in and q bench where he could
build cabinets and things.
Stephen brought himself up with q
halt. "Ill be adding q nursery next"
he grinned and turned his thoughts
to the realities Of life.
Foremost, there was the matter Of
obtaining loan staring him In the
face, though he hated to look at it.
The boys had been pretty decent
about letting him have money, even
ping out Of his class.
Stephen knew they referred to his
going about with Pamela Judson.
She was out Of his class, but Stephen
was not the victim Of an inferiority
complex.
So long as there were ladders to
climb a fellow could get anywhere.
He didn't intend to stay on the bot
tom rung. And when he reached the
point where he could provide q COM
Portable home for wife he would 60
after the girl he wanted. If there was
one, whether she breathed the rari-
fled air at the top or was to be found
struggling with the masses lower
down.
\ T. 4
In the meantime he found playing
around with Pamela rather expensive.
But he considered the money spent a
good investment; through her he met
a number Of likely buyers for his car.
And then, of course, 1t was pleasant.
Pamela had q way =. well, he
couldn't object when she chose to curl
up against him and coax.
He wasn't altogether sure that she
wouldn't turn out to be the girl he
wanted to marry. For one thing he
knew he was becoming jealous Of
Huck Connor. The persistency OF the
fellow in hanging around Pamela
annoyed him. It annoyed Pamela,
too, for now that Stephen was back
in her fold she had no further use
for Huck. She wasn't sure that
Stephen had been even partially
lured to return by fear Of the COM
petition Huck had offered. She rather
believed It was entirely due to the
thorough manner in which she had
disillusioned him in regard to Mil
dred.
On that score Pamela felt she could