Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-02-21

allies with him, instead of eternally on
the duller sidel
When his mother died. Hilary and
his father began TO see a good deal of
each other in a perfectly amiable sort
of way. They never talked about the
past, because Hilary, in his early twen-
ties, had already developed into a
gentle, scholarly, and thoroughly hypo-
critical old bachelor type.
"Hurrah for the Victoriansl" Law
renee wished his son a rousing and I'M
suitable marriage. But Hilary, alas.
married timidly and d~iscreetly; and his
wife died so SOOn afterwards, at the
birth Of Christopher, that the incident
hardly broke the crust Of his essential
bachelordom.
Il might as we'll add a grandson to
the picturesque tableau Of q sinner in
his ~dotage!" remarked st. Lawrence.
to conceal his obvious fancy for Chris
topher. Hilary was flattered, but sur
prised. He did not realize that perhaps
the most glamorous relations which
exist are those between grandparent
and grandchild. Old Lawrence and
young Christopher seemed SO comfort
able with each other that 1t might
have occurred to Hilary that he was,
- A q A4ON AAlAASAOoOAkJ llllh
between them.
But Christopher was SO nice to him,
and so was Lawrence.
ton of Not at Home to Hannibal
AT once the words masterpiece
genius" "the achievement Of this cen
tury," began to be banded about. An
opposing school screamed that the
poem was the work of an "inSolent and
blaphemouS charlatan" and that
was the yeast which finally raised the
bread. Hilary prepared himself to cope
with a son whose head was enormously
swollen. 1t was diSconcerting to find
that Chris head remained just the
same size: and his gaze just as far off
and speculative. He was a serious lad,
not easily excited. You had a curious
feeling about him, sometimes, as
though he walked on snow and his
were the only footprints. Nor did he
respond to applause with the same rel
ish as his much applauded grand
father; and soon he became engrossed
in writing THE Slower Judas"
But Cliffe was a name dOubly dis
tinguished now; and those who used to
say to Hilary: Aren't you proud of
your father?" followed on with: "You
must be proud of your son!"
And after the achievements of both
the illustrious CliffeS had been fully
discussed, they might or they might
not say, according to their sum of per-
ception: You're not looking too well.
Been overworking?"
Hilary was conscious that his man.
ner was a little constrained as he re-
piled with information about the final
chapters of his annotated edition. 1t
was heavy work, certainly; and at the
same time he was pledged to write the
biography of COwper; and his publish
erS were worrying him for 1t.
Your governor will have a break
down if he doesn't take care!" q friend
remarked to Christopher.
Christopher, that young recluse who
noticed nothing Of human well-being
or ill-being while he was engrosSed in
1.-The Slower Judas" nevertheless reused
himself to investigate this matter of
his fathers nerves. whats up Dad?"
Hilary replied with a few wistful
platitudes about growing old.
THAT won't do" replied Chris. you
don't hear st. Lawrence holding forth
about the western sunset in that style,
and he's bound to be q bit older than
you."
your grandfather has one of those
wy D lcdito WHICH dIC UOlll CoLiiplCtC-
ly adult" said Hilary, with less benev-
olence than usual.
Christopher smiled. 20, st. Lawrence
is magnificent. But honestly, Dad,
won't you go away somewhere for a
long rest, and chuck up whatever
you're doing? It's not important, is
it?"
mo" murmured Hilary. "It isn't
important -" Then he recalled with
a start what he was saying. II can't
possibly. I couldn't reconcile it with
my conscience" And then he added
fretfully. Besides, In perfectly all
right" -
Don't you want to go on a holiday"
Il don't want to do anything" Hill
airy was almost weeping by now, and
ChriStopher's anxiety increased. All
this petulance and depression was so
unlike his usually tranquil parent. He
wrote to st. Lawrence about it, and
presently Lawrence Cliffe appeared in
person at the flat in South KenSing-
ton.
Hilary thought that he hated a fuss
being made about his health; yet he
felt remarkable better while Lawrence
and Christopher were comforting about
him, though ostentatiously he affected
not to be aware of what was going on.
well, we've settled it all, Chris and
I. You're to be packed off to Port
Meurice next Friday. I'll finish your
Life Of Cowper' for you. . His own
mother wouldn't recognize him when
I've done with him. I'm ashamed of
you, Hilary, getting a breakdown from
overWork. No one in our family has
ever overworked before!"
Hilary smiled wanly, and murmured
cnnofhipp ohout duinO in harnecc
I'm afraid Chris will be rather lone
ly," he suggested, lacking anything bet
ter to say, for he knew that Christopher
was entirely sufficient unto himself.
Lawrence Cliffe said: II thought I
might as well stay here with your poor
~ m ~