Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-07-24

the baby will make a change in the
way Genevleve looks at things"
something had made q change in
Lucas, TOO. There a q new con-
fidence and authority about him. His
eyes mad lost their asking look. They
commanded instead. Brighton thought
IL certain that Lucas would be secure
and happy now.
lhey talked a bit longer, about
Frances. who had at last sold n of
her stories, a piece about q sergeant
IN the Spanish American war.
1 don't know how Howard lives"
Lucas chuckled. Hes lust a poor,
dumb mortal like the rest of us, and
the literary atmosphere in that house
is SO thick now that you could cut it
with a knife"
AT last he left. 1t was settled be-
tween them that Uncle Albert should
go to Lucas after New Years day.
But Uncle Albert had something to
say about 1t. In fact, he had every
thing to say, and what he said was IN
the nature OF a revelation to the Rice
children. Uncle Albert, it seemed, had
for some time been saving any bit of
money that came his way. He had
saved consistently and for a urpose
And, since Lucas and Ralph had given
him checks for Christmas, he had
reached his goal. He now had enough
money to pay for his life's residence
certificate in the Old Mems Home.
Il didn't say nothing ABOUT it," he
told the children alphabetically, be
cause / was afraid you might make
objections or interfere some way, and
l was dead set on it. Not that you
haven't all been good as gold to me,
but Tommy Hicks of the Old Mems
Home and me have been through most
all our lives together, and 1t struck
me a long while back that If I had
my wish I'd rather live under the same
roof with him than with the president.
And things suits me at the Old Mems
Home. The talk is in~tereStin', and the
food is good and plain, and Mrs. Nc
Connel that keeps the place is a born
mother to all the fellows. And there's
always q game OF cards or checkers
goin', and the beds is comfortable, and
no hurry nor uproar about nothin'.
so I'm goin', and I'll tell the whole
town 1. bought my own way in out
there because I wanted to be with
Tommy Hicks, SO that nobody can say
none of you didn't want me. Because
you're a fine crowd of children, and no
man was ever treated better, but l just
want to be with Tommy Hicks Of the
Old Mems Home"
1t was a month later that Brighton
came to see Doris with something mo-
mentous in the way he looked at her.
They had the living room to them
selves that night, and Doris was wear
ing a new blue dress.
That's pretty enough" said Brigh-
ton, ito go in your trousseau. It's lucky
you have it,. for there won't be time
for you to shop very much"
He laughed, and kissed her, and
laughed again at her bewilderment,
like a child with a marvellous secret.
We're going to be married right
away" he cried.
After a few moments Of incOher-
encies he explained. He had been deS-
perate when Uncle Albert's sickness
had cut into his savings. He had cast
about for anything he might do tc
make up the deficit, and had at last
gone to work, half -heartedly, at an
improved accounting system which he
had long thought he might perfect.
"The company tried all the best sys-
TENS in our department, but none OF
them worked with absolute satisfac-
tiOn," he told her. Il thought I saw
where the flaws were. AS l worked, ]
got interested, and more improvements
came to me. I finished it just a bit
before Christmas, and they agreed to
try it out. 1t has been in a month
now, and the results show that it saves
20 per cent of the time of the entire
force.
THE big boy called me in today, and
he and the vice president congratu-
lated me on it, and told me they had
been. asked to let me present it at the
accountants convention in New York
two weeks from now. And wait
there's more-I didn't know it, but
Jenkins, the department manager, re-
signed yesterday, and whom do you
guess they offered the position to?"
"YOu!"
"And how would you like a honey
moon in New York;"
At l O'Clock they still sat by the
fire. There were long silences of con-
tent between them now. They had
made every possible plan, uttered every
conceivable exclamation, and promised
J each other in good faith more than
any two human beings could ever full
fill. And now it was pleasant to look
backward over everything that had led
up to this peak of happiness.
1T has been a great year for the
Rice children" said Brighton.
yes" Doris agreed. She laughed a
little. would you like to know what
I think has been the biggest factor in
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