White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-04-21
CHAPTER IV-Continued

After dinner, in the sitting room
when dad and Mr.. Mariner lighted
cigars and sat together on the sofa
talking business, "Baby" fastened her
self on poor mother. She again apol-
ogized for the mistake she'd made in
telling "Pet" that of course he must
dress for dinner. 1t had been such
a stupid mistake. She hadn't quite
understood. And Of course 1t was a
perfectly foolish custom, anyway,
really.
From where Edith sat- she caught
snatches, too, of the talk between Mr..
Mariner and dad. Dad wasn't agree
ing with Mr.. Mariner. Once she saw
him look startled. "Do you mean they
threaten to bring suit?" he asked. And
then, with glance around as If he
feared he'd spoken too loud he low
cred his voice and asked some more
questions that Mr.. Mariner didn't seem
to like to answer very we'll He acted
as If his feelings were hurt, and his
voice sounded sulky. But he didn't
act that way very long. Pretty soon
he was talking again. as eagerly as
ever.
About nine o'clock, with the explain
alton that she had some studying to
do, Edith said good night to their
guests and went up to her room. But
when she heard them go she came
down again in her bathrobe to talk
over the evening with mother and dad.
''Wasn't she the most awful woman
you ever saw? Do you suppose he's
rsally crazy about her, or would he
like to kill her? He's afraid Of her,
! expect"
Mother made the conventional adult
Notest, but only half-heartedly. Then
she said, what was pretty outspoken
for mother, "Well, hope for his sake
she does go to California soon"
But dad was really blue. He hardly
seemed to be listening.
Finally mother said, "She isn't to be
taken seriously, is she, Ned?"
II don't know" he said absently. II
guess not. haven't been thinking
about her. I got rather new line on
him tonight. He doesn't face facts
unless they agree with his hopes, but
Of course that's to be expected from a
man Of his temperament. And l sup
pose it's natural that he shouldn't be
very scrupulous about keeping his
0syS or fulfilling his promises. He
likes to be allowed to forget that he's
made them. But he talked tonight, for
the first time to me, about changing
his design. l hope / succeeded in per-
suading him out of 1t tonight, but
don't know If the things right as it
stands, he hasn't any argument. That's
the question everything comes down
to. If the things right We'll put 1t
over, Mariner or no Mariner" He
rose stiffly from his easy chair and
tossed the end of his cigar into the
crate.
There was another silence after that
Edith found 1t appalling. She couldn't
say anything; she didn't believe she
could move. And she knew that moth
er, whose hand was clasped in hers,
felt the same way.
He looked around at them at last,
and almost started, as if he'd forgot
ten they were there. Don't you worry,
you two" he said. Pm not really
worried myself. I've seen nothing yet
to make ME think we aren't right.
We're going to make our fortunes
yet"
Christmas was coming, and Edths
heart sank whenever she thought of it.
In former years the weeks before the
holidays had been time Of rapturous
anticipation. The other girls at school
wers like that now They talked
endle.ysly about the letting out of
school, the round Of parties, things
limited for and hoped they were going
to get. They made Edith so blue when
they talked that way that she could
hardly stand 1t.
Certainly there wasn't going to be
any money to spare this year. She
could tell by the way dad looked when
he came home night after night for
dinner and sat, forgetting even to pre-
tend to listen, while she and mother
talked about things that had happened
during the day. The only reference he
ever made to Christmas was to figure
o7t once in while how many days it
would be before Ed got home from col
leGA
Ed had been told, she knew, little
about the new business and that dad
had resigned his position in the in
sxrancs company. But how well he