The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-10-26

Its simply abnormal for . man to
live as Chris Is doing" Bil1y's nrotnel
went N. His health. will break un-
der It. VIII says 50. He's simply DOT,
ing into his profession to keep his mine
occupied, and when he isn't working
he's running the club or devoting him
self to that child. An attractive young
wife would be his salvation. But II ne
doesn't get her pretty o he never
will. It will be too late.". -.
I'm afraid So" Muriel's mother said
But there's nothing any n can DC
about it. The first years after 1mo-
genes death I tried hard enough to
find the right wife for Chris. I wa
always introducing him to nice girls
I even brought some of my nieces on
from Boston. But he wouldn't look at
them, and now he's just a squirrel in a
cage, and not getting anywhere. Lets
go in. I feel chilled"
They left and I sat still, hoping her
chill would be a hard me- had q kind
Of chill myself-a cold, sicky one that
crawled down my back. Those women
thought I was hurting Daddy. They
thought he would break down If he
didn't get married and have a wife tc
look after him. They thought I was
being selfish. They talked about "emp-
ty cups" as if Daddy had been a beg
gar holding up a tin cup on a street
corner.
The more I thought about what they
had said the sicker I felt. It didn't
seem possible that they could be right
and yet I suppose even grown-ups are
r{0ht cnNnafirnnc I frry RI hor,o on Nror
mind as my dear English teacher, Miss
Spencer, is always telling the class tc
have. I realize that they might be
right, now.
I need not point out to the gentle
reader the terrible position in which
found myself. Up till now Miss Spenc-
er says we must say up to now, so I do
but I don't think there's any sense in
it, I had aways gone to Daddy with
any question that bothered me, and
Daddy and I had talked it over till we
got at the truth of it. Daddy had said
when we began this, II am handicapped
by age, and you are still somewhat
young. But just the same, June, when
you and I put u combined intellects
on a problem, that problem sinks away
with its tail between its legs"
He meant that he and I could think
out anything together-and so we could,
But now, for the first time, I could not
take a problem to Daddy. He might
laugh at it.. He might be annoyed by
it. But he would not discuss it. I felt
perfectly sure of that. He would tell
me to forget it." And when he tells
me that, in a queer kind of tone and
with a different look in his eyes, I for
get just as quickly as I can.
something I had to think out by my
self, and no lines that Cicero ever wrote
were anything like as hard. My head
whirled. I felt queer and choky. Some
thing like indigestion seemed to be 60
ing on inside of me. But of course it
wasn't indigestion. It was mental
strain.
Daddy came out on the veranda
pretty oon and took me home, his
mind full of the last rubber he had
played. He told me in strict confidence
that God never had meant Muriel Jack
sons father to play contract, but that
Muriels father didn't know this anG
continued his "abortive" efforts. He
said he had to return to the clubhouse
to teach Muriel's father the difference
between a little slam and a jar of wat
ermelon pickles. Then he kissed me
good night and went back to the club
house, and I guess he did teach Muriel's
father; for Muriel told me the next
morning that her father was simply
shattered at breakfast.
At school I had to give my mind tc
serious things like lessons. Daddy is
very strict about study. He says the
Drews have always been a brilliant lot
first in peace, first in war, and first in
their Latin lessons. He said if I ever
came home from school with a c or D
on my report he would escort me and
the report to the nearest blizzard and
perish there with us.