Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-07-20

thing good to turn up.
John Anderson was rich, influ-
entail and AZ, and both men loved
her.
Neither Of them had said so in
so many words, for Anderson was
a married man, long separated
from a wife who would not divorce
him, and Merriman had nothing
but his love to offer her.
Merriman was not a sentiment
alist who believed that little else
mattered if only one loved well
enough, for he had been brought
up in middle class poverty him
self, and hated it only a little less
than Sondra hated it.
He had watched his parents
stint themselves almost of neces-
sites in order to give him a good
education, and then after half a
dozen years of struggling to turn
his fathers small and inefficient
firm into a paying concern, he had
watched that father die, a broken,
disappointed man, and had found
himself face to face with failure.
He had been quite frank about
it to Sondra.
What little there is left out of
the ruin will be mothers, of
course, and I might as we'll try
my luck in some other country"
"Do you think it will be better
in any other country than it is in
America 2" she had asked him.
"Aren't things pretty much the
same everywhere unless you have
money or influence"
She had seen his eyes cloud over
and had hated herself for her pes
simism as he answered, "Well,
I'm afraid i haven't either money
or influence, but if ambition and
muscle are of any use | ought to
stand a chance"
1t was then that he had men
toned John Anderson. half rueful-
ly and utterly without hope.
IF only some fellow like Ander-
son would take a fancy to me, and
send me to one of his jobs in the
Congo. | have thought of ap-
preaching him, but / daresay he's
got dozens of fellows like me hang
ing round already, and we're only
casual acquaintances."
Sondra had been silent for a mo-
ment before she answered slowly.
"Mr. Anderson is rather a friend
of mine."
II know, but all the same"
and then he had shrugged his
shoulders and changed the subject.
But sitting in the box this eve-
ming while the balcony and orches-
ira cheered themselves hoarse
over a musical comedy favorite,
ISondra remembered it.
Anderson was indeed quite a
friend of hers; she wondered
drearily what Merriman would
think if he knew how great a
friend Anderson had proved him.
self in the thousand and one ways
in which a wealthy man can be-
friend a penniless girl. He would
be furious, of course, in the way
that some men are furious with
women who take extravagant
presents from men who are not
related to them.
She sighed and glanced at her
scrutinizing the packed
house through her lorgnette, the
picture of complacent prosperity
and selfishness.
Years ago their father, and i'm
pecunious optimistic Irishman, had
said with a chuckle:
II don't know what's to become
of you two girls if you can't wing
some millionaire for a husband.
You're both good looking, but
that's all; if it ever came to MAX
ing yourselves useful, God help
you both"
Well, Flora had successfully |
winged her husband, for Ben Lo-
max was not quite a millionaire he
was rich enough to be entirely
generous with his wife and alb
ominably mean with everyone else.
Sondra knew that she herself
was only allowed to live with them
because of Flora's Intervention,
and that they would both welcome
/ day that saw her safely and Sc
married.
She thought of her father to-
with a queer pang. |
She had disapproved of him,
md yet there had been something
about him that one could not help
owing.
He had been his own worst en-
my. He had once had more than
lis share of good fortune and had
it carelessly away with
10Th generous hands, dying with
dollar in his pocket and a pile
If |. 0. US in his desk-an opti-
mist to the end.
You'll be all right" were al
most his last words to her. with
hat face of un1rc Won could mari