Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-08-25

Crooked BIZ looked cautiously
around to make certain the door from
| the veranda to the living room was
closed. for 1t was instinct with him
never to make a move until all the
conditions were propitious. Il hadn't
any idea you two were engaged, son.
I'VE weren't. although | think we
could have been II had been fool
enough to insist. Bobby likes me ire
mendously. I'm sure of that
Like Is right. doubt II she'll ever
love anybody. but If she should I'm
certain he'll be married man with
large family and unavailable from
| every point of view You interested
| her son, far more than any Of your
! predecessors. and I've seen them all
come and 60. | reckon that's because
you were a mite harder to land than
the Others"
shes been expecting me to propose
| for a month, and just little while
ago | was fool enough to do 1t. She
looked so Internally proposable today
| And while was doing 1t ! looked at
| her steadily and noted the triumphant
| CLINT I'm her eyes. and a little self-sat-
| isiied smile on her lovely lips. Some
| thing told me she WIS preparing the
| skids for me-. So. no sooner had
| popped the question and no sooner
| had she commenced to assure me that
| she hadn't remotely suspected this at
| tachment. than interrupted her and
| withdrew my proposition. | begged
| her not to think any more about It."
Hts fire." Crooked Bill was
! STEPPED in reverential awe.
"1hat got her blazing mad" Hackett
| continued
ut would anger a sheep" Crooked
Bill agreed. "Rohertas mighty high
| and handsome In her Ideas"
Il told her 1t had suddenly occurred
to me that she could never possibly
consider marrying lawyer who
| grubbed for living in the heart OF
! New York's financial quarter. | told
her | was quite certain that what she
was seeking was knght-errant and
| wasn't it. | told her | had suddenly
| made up my mind that 1t was all
hideous mistake and-But that's as
far as GOT
she up and left you then, son? She
was crying as she passed me. | didn't
see her, but my hearings right good
| for my years. Boy. you're gift from
i DI ~ nfuy wIc
! like that and she's yours without
flicker That girl requires whole
lot O. llckin', but she's only got to
be licked once!"
/ I'm wondering If overplayed my
| hand?r
what II you did? She didn't have
/ even dirty little deuce to trump your
ace, did she?'
Il suppose | startled her. I'm
| little bit afraid, Mr.. Latham. She
/ plays fast and loose with man.
She's a confirmed flirt."
"They make awful good wives once
you halter break EN-" Crooked Bill
suggested
I1UN uO ybu MUM
II married one-and she was that
girls aunt. Roberta comes by her
misfortune honestly. All the Bar
rows women were romantic. In fact
Roberta's mother ran away with an
end man In q minstrel show She
adored the jokes that boy used to
crack until he cracked one on her by
marrying her. She bore him Roberta
and from that day until he died Ro-
berta ran him ragged and made the
poor devil like 1T. He was a good
end man but poor Judge OF Invest
ments, and when he and his wife were
| killed In train wreck my wife and
| fell heir to Roberta. She was eleven
then. My wife died ten years ago and
I've been riding herd on Roberta ever
since"
II fear you've made bad job of
1t, Mr.. Latham"
well, you can't bar me for tryin."
Crooked Bill responded calmly. 1.-THE
girls sound at heart, but cursed with
face and figure that'd make Helen
OF Troy look like a Navajo squaw In
comparison. She has brains, she has
poise-"
Not any more" Glenn Hackett In
terrupted gloomily. i've just upset
her poise! ~
Crooked Bill INDUCED himself In a
very mirthful little chuckle We'll, at
any rate, she's very good dear sweet
girl" he defended finally.
"She can't coquet with me- She
wants to be pursued. I'm busy man
and I've pursued her for a year, and
you know, Mr. Latham, as well as
do. that whenever she has another
swain on hand she always deyotes
herself to him and ignores me-"
wants TO see II you'll get jeal-
GUS"
Crooked Bill stroked his chin and
spat a thin amber stream over the
yeranda railing. Tell you what you
do. son." he announced presently, and
Glenn Hackett leaned forward to lis
ten to the words OF wisdom from the
oracle. "You stay to dinner just as II
nothing out of the ordinary had oc
Cured Robertall dine In her room
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