Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1930-11-13

''tA Hhhf iiifi h'it dSdiilNl
the corner Of he garage. his hat off.
his head tilted back and his eyes fixed
on the one tree that stood Oh the lot.
tall narrow poplar tree.
Ernestine had never seen him look
like this. The slight iabitual twist of
satire that had become set on his
mouth WAS gone. His lips were re.
Taxed aud full, like a childs. His
black eyes, always so bright and alert,
were soft now and strangely luminous
in his pale thin face. And in his conn-
tenanee was such yearning, such
poignant beauty. that Ernestine could
scarcely forbear CRYING out.
He had not noticed hersand silently
she turned back TO the house and 81
lently closed the door behind her For
what WAS Will laundering there in the
dusk? What did he worship? Some.
thing SHE did not Know, see nor feel.
Something beyond ner. Again, In tile
absorption of life he had slipped away
from her, into some secret path he had
to follow alone. Again his mind had
escaped Willie his body only remained
by her side. Tie poplar tree-he Was
ailing, as he had allied before.
She gathered herself together with
a spiritual gesture. She strengthened
herself Something WIS imminent.
something WAS 10 hefal them. She
realized with horror that they had not
saved cent. in all their new pros
/ rerity. She WIS confronted with the
necessity 20 cease her butterfly Whrl-
ing and turn squirrel again. For
! Nllls run If luck would inevitably end
in disaster Of some Kind that SHE could
not even farsee.
Thinking of tile longing and the
! sorrow Of his face. Erilestlne forgot
for the moment low bur il short time
ago She lad loved her house and
blessed her possessions. Was there
nothing she could do for Will? Moth
Ing. She had learned this hard fact
once, and let her not forget 1t now.
Was he always to he lonely? Could
not her body encompass him, her love
enfold him? At times she could be
close against his heart. At other
times he would be remote from her.
from all Of them. Her spirit cried out
In protest against the sense OF aliena.
tion that was sweeping down upon her.
Her throat ached bitterly.
She shook herself. This was non
sense. Because VIII stared at a tree
and Il star she WAS invoking disaster.
lie had come in early and gone out in
his garden to enjoy the evening. and
the light had made him look wan
But these thin mental comments
died unheeded Nothing could shake
the deep fatalistic conviction that had
laid itself upon her heart
Ernestine watched VIII during The
winter mouths that followed without
making much Roadway in her efforts
to understand him. His abstraction
at times was so intense that he moved
like a somnambuist The children
bloomed. Peter was a tall strong boy
with a lively mind and body. 1t was
evident that Elaine would be able to
start with her lessons in another year.
The baby would be three In the sum-
mer, and he was every ones darling.
Mamma was always sending him things
from New York. She could not shop /
without remembering him.
But none of Ernestine's JOY In her
children could compensate for Wits
strangeness. Sometimes he came out
OF his absorption and was feverishly
bright and active. He was guarded
with her, and put on an artificial non
chalance. She accepted this casually,
without the irritation that had almost
disrupted them before. His whole air
and manner were the air and manner
OF a man who Is pursuing secret love
affair." but Ernestine knew that Wits
grief was not so simple as that.
Nevertheless. she began In a quiet
way to spy npon him, be-
ing compelled by the need TO know
more. Ills habits away
from home were revealed to her by
small patient inquiries.
lie spent every morning nj the Sun
Office and kept his strip well ahead,
did his work IN an orderly, workman
like manner. In the afternoons 1t was
the common belief that he went to the
small outside studio where young
ster named Hobbs worked on the
movie cartoons for him. He spent
some time there, aud then either
played bridge at the Press club, or at
one or another OF the clubs on Mich
gan boulevard where men had money
and leisure to spend around the card
-ables in the late winter afternoons.
One day. downtown shopping Ernes- h
Inc went over TO this movie studio,
1ut the boy greeted her inquiry for
slr Todd with snch establishment that
she knew VIII was seldom there.
But the moviess'
lie comes In once week or so and
works all afternoon. He can do more
work In an boar than anybody ever
Jaw. We keep them up. Mrs. Todd"
I'm sure you do said Ernestine,