Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-03-23
CHAPTER IX-Continued


10
understanding fixed a date for her
visit with Blanche, decided to 60 to
New York for a few days shopping
first She had no intention, she said.
with a slight autter= of NERVES" when
Paul. who had been giving some pain
full attention to the subject, pointed
out to her that the state of their
finances was still low after his sis
ter's wedding and that such trips and
shopping were expensive. of looking
"eeuntrifed' when she first went to
stay at her new san.in-lawss hotnes and
to meet her daughters new friends
IF you had shown any consideration
OF me at all, We wouldn't have been
so straitened.n she sobhed.
Why. never urged you to spend
all that money -
Don't argue with me! You know
1t always prostrates me to have vml-
gar quarrels going on. As If this
wretehed affair with Mary hadn't end
ed every hope of our having her
money! And then you try TO put the
blame ON me and accuse me of"
well, I've played Mary so many
dirty. mean tricks that | suppose It's
natural you should think Id use her
money to pay our silly debts i prob
ably would haye-the way things were
going. But | haven't accused you Of
anything. only said"
ooh, I know what you said but 1t
makes all the difference how a thing
is said. and the meaning back of the
saying counts still more | suppose
you'll refuse to drive me to the mid
night train, next !"
Paul did not. OF course, refuse to do
anything OF the sort. To tell the truth,
he was almost glad to see his mother
go. Her Incidence. her extravaganza,
her selhshness, seemed so appalling
to him just then, that he found them
increasingly difficult to live with, and
none the less so because he thought
he saw all these qualities reflected
and magnified In his own character.
1t was also becoming clear to him that
he must either earn more-or rather
earn something-or spend less, II they
were to get out of debt, and that he
could put considerable time to adj
vantage In figuring out how he was to
do this. He began his reflections In
this direction on his way home after
taking her to the station. An I'M
usually heavy snow storm had obliged
him to drive the old family horse, IN
stead OF using the new motor, and 1t
was two O'clock In the morning when
he reached home. There was, he hap
pened to notice, a light in Mary's
room. When he had put the horse up
and was going from the barn to the
house, he saw that 1t was still burn
Ing. and heard her voice at the tele-
phone through an open window. Seth
and Jane were both away, he knew,
attending Sunday school convention.
Mary was therefore alone with the
two little boys, and something was
certainly wrong. He went up close
to the house and called.
MARY Maryl Is anything the mat
teri Can / help?"
He was more frightened than before
at the agonized voice that answered
him.
"Yes-YES-Oh thank God you've
GOMEZ"
He pushed open the front door and
bounded up the stairs. Mary was
bending over the bed And on the
bed lay Algy, gasping and wgithing
and then lying deathly still.
"He's got commissions" Mary man
aged to say In stlfled voice. II
can't leave him second. He might
choke to death Ii | did"
"What am to do flrst7"
"Start the kitchen fire. Wen get
him into hot BATH"
Paul vanished without another word.
In an Incredibly Short time, he was
back again.
A"What next?"
"See II you can get hold Of doc.
tor. / tried. but Central was so slow
IN answering / didn't dare Oh
Oh" for the liyid child was choking
again
There was no resident physician al
~ little cottage hospital Doctor