The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1931-04-03

i IOa htAtaHtlF ANU
/ please understand, Nelliei I wan
you so, but I'll not be selfish enough
to ask you to wait"
Il understand thoroughly, dear
| do not expect you to ask me t,
wait and as a matter of fact
would not consent to wait. When
marry you | want some of the
sweetness of life, not the sacrifice
and the drudgery of never-endine
poverty. | have my place in the
bank and take me out of here
Elmer Clarke. I'm going to cry
Elmer hurriedly paid his bill and
they left the roadhouse. Five miles
down the road they came to the
first arc light on the outskirts of
Pilarcitos. Nellie laid her soft
little hand on Elmer's arm.
Pull up under that arc light
she commanded, and Elmer obeyed.
From her bag Nellie drew q sheaf
of typewriter papers and handed
them to Elmer. "Readr" she com
manded.
what is il, NellieT'
"1t's the final accounting Of your
Uncle Hiram's estate submitted to
the court by the executor, Absolom
/ McPeake. You didn't take time to
read it when he submitted a copy
TO you. so he sent 1t on to me to
show you"
How do you-why--I didn't
know he knew you"
Read it. BOBBY Nellie cried.
You're so deliberate you drive me
crazy. Read it,"
So Elmer read lt-and when he
had done so he was aware that he
was riding in an automobile with
the next of kin of Benedict Gather
on, who had received from the
estate Of Hiram Butterworth the
sum of $1,07S,000 In full ~satisfac-
ton Of that certain mortgage. ct
cetera. His face was very long and
solemn as he folded the document
and returned 1t to her.
"rm happy you happened to be
Benedict Catheron's granddaughter,
Nellie" he said quietly. "You de-
serve every cent Of it. God bless
you'll | hope you'll conserve it and
enjoy it and never know the pinch
of poverty again."
81 told you I wouldn't wait to
marry you until you had become
fat and middle-aged and accumu-
lated a few thousand dollars,
Elmer. I meant what I said. Oh,
my dear. / knew it all the time -
knew how little you were going to
have left after everything should
have been paid-and when l dis
covered, through McPeake, that
you would escape with two hun
dred and eighteen thousand dollars
I had a great curiosity to see how
you would stand losing that. SO /
told McPeake I wanted you to
think-oh. please forgive me, dar-
ling. but old Bunker was bluffing
you all the timel So Mr.. McPeake
fixed it with the bank to tell you
that story and then he pretended
to have a long conversation with
the collector Of internal revenue
and here's your two hundred and
eighteen thousand dollars and some
odd. Elmer-and oh, you're so
brave and simple and unspoiled,
and | love you so much more now
I know how truly fine you are
me, BOBBY. kiss me, l say!
Take me in your arms and tell me
you love me. I want to hear you
say it-over and over again, dar-
ing-and say you forgive me. I've
bought out old Anse Moody's con-
interest in the bank, and +;
you're president and nobody is go
ng to laugh at you. Oh, darling,
wouldn't let anybody do that"
"Don'tl he pleaded. "You don't
now anything about it. That Doris
lakewood will make a laughing
took of me yet. She can't prove
thing, but she'll give me a lot Of
publicity" !
"She'1l not. I have a photograph
ecord of her conversation with
on the night she and Colorado
called to blackmail you.
Why, I'm the n who put them in
nil so they could think it over
and when they get out
hey'Il leave the state on tick
is furnished by me, or go to
~penitentiary for conspiracy to
lackmail you. I knew all about
lem long before you did" :
''Then in heavens name, why did :
Oh keep me in ignorance and let
Ie suffer- he asked.
Nellie laughed softly. "Oh. | had
silly idea you'd think ever so
uch more of me If I permitted
)u to have some experience Of
er."
Elmer threw In his gears and the
r glided down the highway. Pres
lily he turned off into n lateral
ad and pulled up in the shadow :
a line Of eucalyptus trees. Very =
lmly he switched off the ignition
d lights and then turned to Nellie.
snow" he said soberly, "TH kiss
e most wonderful girl in all the
,rld. and after that we're going
motor owe to San Jose. get the
unity clerk out OF bed, secure a
ense and get married. IF I'm to
iy in Pilarcitos and pool my for
Ne with yours. we might as we'll j
Irt now because-well, because
Nellie darling. how a you
Te me so? What an ass I've
Nellie's arms went around his
*. stop singing the national
hem of Slant" she commanded.
dear old BOBBY Z"
1.-THE ENID