The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1931-03-06

day before the election he invited
the entire high school district to a
barbecue. During the barbecue he
made the only public speech Of HE
campaign. 1t was a rafting good
speech and well delivered.
AS usually occur when an I'M
trained speaker warns to his sub
ject, Elner's oratory suddenly cap
tivated Elmer. Almost before he
realized 1t, he had announced his In
tention of seeking the office OF
mayor of Pilarcitos. as an indie
pendent candidate, at the November
election.
When Elmer Clarke stepped
down from the table upon which
he had made his speech, he knew
he had won. In fact, he was elect
ed by a majority Of nineteen votes,
and took office at the next regular
meeting Of the beard.
Meanwhile the Pilarcitos Clarion
had increased its circulation by
one. Colorado Charley had sub
scribed for three months, on the
off-chance that thus he might be kept
in touch with the activities of his
intended victim. AS a result of his
foresight, Elmer received a tele-
gram from Doris Gatewood on the
morning of election day, wishing
him a tremendous victory and max
ing the prophecy that any other is
sue would be improbable.
Elmer thought 1t was both kind
and considerable of her to do this;
consequently an hour after the votes
were counted he sent her a tele-
gram thanking her and announc-
Ing his victory. Immediately she
replied with a night letter suggest
ing that he owed himself a present
and it ought to take the form OF
another visit to Los Angeles.
With that suggestion Elmer was
In entire accord. He told Nellie
about 1t before he left and she
agreed that he ought to go. When
he told her he would probably see
Doris Gatewood and her brother
while there, she told him she hoped
he would see the charming Miss
Gatewood and that he might enjoy
her society immensely. AS q result
of this conversation, Elmer depart
ed not a little irritated. He would
have preferred to have Nellie dis
play opposition to his plan.
To say that Elmer enjoyed his
vacation would, in these days of su-
perlative slang, scarcely express the
content Of his enjoyment. Perhaps
it would be better to state that he
ate 1t up. He lunched and dined
and fox-trotted in every worth
while hotel, restaurant and road
house In Los Angeles county, and
then departed, accompanied by Col
orado Charley and Doris Gatewood,
for points farther south. They
swan and played golf at Coronado,
they lunched at delightfully."- wicked
Tia Juana, and, at a bare sugges-
ton from his guests, he ruined the
paint on his new automobile In a
wild dash across the Colorado des-
ert to spend a week at the Grand
canyon.
Quite early in the history Of the
junket Doris commenced calling
him Elmer and insisted that IL
they were to be good pals he must
call her Doris. He did-gratefully.
Presently she took to calling him
dear and darling and old thing and
old dear and silly boy and sundry
other verbal evidences of %insincer-
ity. Elmer liked 1t. He tate 1t
up." In the gentle art Of cOquetry
Doris Gatewood was a past mas
ter. and 1t is not to be maryeled
at that he became hopelessly infat-
uated with her.
She thrilled him, she dazzled
him. she brought on a delicious
pain in his heart. she filed him with
the wonder of her. When he thought
of Nellie Cathcart 1t was with a
pang of shame and trepidation, but
this unpleasantness gradually dis.
appeared, exercised by Elmer him
self. Finding he could not think
Of Nellie without having his indie
scribable happiness clouded, he
ceased to think of her at all. al
though he did send ne a few pic
ture postcards. She was but O
memory Of another life.
Nevertheless old habits, particu-
Iarly Of loyalty. are hard TO break.
Elmer was more than the devoted
friend and host, but not quite the
He wanted to be but lacked
the courage. Doris realized this
and created opportunity after op-
portunity for him to declare him.
self. She even went so far. on their
way back to Los Angeles, when they
travelled by night to avoid the heat
Of the day. as to pretend to sleep
with her lovely head on his shout
der.
Elmer trembled a little, but that
was all, so the lady took advan-
Of Colorado Chariey's pres
ence In the front seat with the