White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-06-09

| however. His purpose wasn't shaken
| in the least. The fact that Jake was
| going to be married tonight seemed
| to him utterly trivial. He took bus
and went straight up to Germans
hotel on the North side.
Jake seemed surprised and rather
| pathetically pleased to see him. He'd
been in too much of hurry earlier in
the day, he said, and had got every
thing done. Now he was left flat with
nothing to do but wait for the hour,
and think. He hoped Edward would
sit down for while and keep him
company. He offered Edward drink
which he declined, and cigar, which
he accepted. He couldn't smoke him
self, he said; he was too nervous.
I'D be all right" he said, "if l
didn't get to thinking. That's what
gets you at time like this. It's a
solemn occasion, Patterson. A right
minded man has got to think about
things. There are lot of things he
wishes he hadn't done. Oh, we'll, no
use worrying about past regrets, of
course. How long have you been mar
| ried?"
"Twenty years." Edward told him.
Jake seemed rather startled. 'My
Cd, but that's long time! % he said
"You must have been just kid"
All that Edward was wildly con-
scious of was the comfort of the
chair he was sitting in and the sooth-
| ing flavor of his cigar The driving
| impulse that had brought him to
| Jakes door seemed to have been spent
when Jake opened it and invited him
in. He'd almost forgotten what he
| had come for. There was no need to
| hurry, anyhow. He had plenty of
| time.
His mind was active enough. He
perceived the irony Of his having come
| from that nerve-racking scene with
| Julia to Jake full of sentimental
| solemnities over his approaching mar
| riage, but the perception was too weak
to carry any pain with it. Even the
| bundle of "reminiscences about his own
wedding day, evoked by Jake's ques-
ton and comment, had an agreeable
SAVIOR.
He said IT may have seemed pretty
young to the elderly onlookers but in
seriousness and sense of responsibility
I imagine I was older than / am to-
day. If you could confront me now
with that young man, think I'd be
rather overawed by him."
Certainly, he reflected, he wouldn't
| have wanted that dmly remembered
bridegroom for witness Of the re-
cent quarrel with Julia. But even this
reflection didn't hurt.
"Well it's enough to make any man
| feel serious and responsible" Jake
/ said. "When I get thinking about it,
| I'm almost scared. She's wonderful
| little girl, Patterson. She's had
| pretty hard time-had to work for her
living. Well, she'll never have to work
again; not as long as live. 1 sup
pose you know she's been on the
stage. She's not like the rest of
them, though. The bright lights don't
interest her one little bit She hates
'em. She don't care about my being
rich, either. All she wants is nice
little home She talks about doing
den to dig in. Well, that's all right as
long as it's fun; but if I can help it,
she's never going to have to do an
other lick of work"
"How's your insurance, Jake? Have
you got enough to protect her If any
oh hor IN
The question startled Edward al
most as much as If the voice that
asked 1t had not been his own. He'd
spoken without the slightest prelim-
mary thought and with complete dis
interestedness. But the reflective, al
most somnolent, mood Of the moment
before was completely shattered by it.
He was bewildered for an instant by
the suddenness of his awakening, but
he was most wildly and brilliantly
awake. Luckily, he had time to get
himself together, for the question had
, startled Jake. too.
II haven't tended to that" he said,
land l sure ought to have. That's one
bet / overlooked. Well, it's too late
now. I'll have to take it up first thing
when we come back from our trip"
Its not too late" Edward assured
| him, after look at his watch. "There's
| all the time in the world. And you'll
| be a lot more comfortable on the trip
If it's settled"
He had the sensation Of enjoying
box seat at his own performance. He
admired and mildly wondered over the
readiness and skill of the expert who
was giving Jake his choice of con-
tracts; telling him how much this and