The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-07-27

bomb into the tower, slammed shut
the door, and damned his shoulder
against tt-quite as if to lamp the ex-
plod1ng charge with the weight of his
body!
A heavy jar. The rending of metal.
Burst IN all directions at once, the tin
tower bulged and collapsed upon itself,
burying Cass Odom from sight. Bar
rett came running a few minutes later.
He found Nancy crying Historically
and battering with her tiny fists against
a shapeless pile of sheet tin.
What on earth happened, child?"
cried the man breathlessly.
He stopped. A part of the hodge,
podge which had been the sun machine
a started to move. Up, up-and
then with a yell a bloody object emery
ed, the head of CaSs Odom!
Still yelling he forced his way out,
brandishing a bar of metal which had
been the jackshaft of his beloved sun
machine. His head running rivers of
blood he started out toward Barrett,
who grabbed Nancy and took to his
heels.
Where are the Boche?" yelled Odom.
He stopped looking about him, bewild-
cred. The brandished iackshaft fell to
the ground. Slowly he crumpled, fall
ing face downward. Good Lord of
Love, he thought he was still in
France!" breathed Barrett in an awed
voice.
Early Christmas morning Gid Nc
Call drove up from Mobile in his glis-
tening new sedan. He had almost burst
from the attempt to save his good
news for this day and he had not
heard of the trouble which had come
upon Cass Odom. Gid got the news
from Cass himself. The latter was still
sitting up-for the doctor would not
allow him to lie down on the back Ct
his head. In a week or so when the
danger of infection was over something
would have to be done about replacing
the silver plate-the faulty trephining
which had caused the ache and trouble
with his eyes-and possibly, too, the
queer twists of mentality which occur
red when this mental supercharger be-
gan to bear down upon his brain.
Gid heard it all and drew his own
conclusions. Then he could restrain
himself no longer.
Merry Christmas!" he cried, and
thrust a tissue paper package all COW
cred with Christmas seals into the girls
arms.
Nancy kissed him. Then, with fin
gers that shook with excitement, she
undid the wrappings.
Another doll ! This was not the crea-
ton of bisque which Gid had brought
out once, then returned to stock, but
one that bore a queer family resem-
blance to the first crude bit of Cass
Odom's workmanship. But it was not
that doll, and certainly not one of the
pair made by Cass for McCan's myth
cal nieces.
This was a much more finished pro-
duct, a doll turned out by lathes and
dies and whose enamel was shiny and
solid.
LET me introduce the Joker! He
is the newest rage in toy1and! He was
invented and first manufactured by
MIR. CasS Odom-and here are the docu-
ments to prove it,"
Chuckling, he tossed a bullying, legal
sized envelope to Cass.
II warn you, though, that both pat
ent and copyright was applied for in
the name Of Nancy Odom. The
Grenda Falls Toy Manufacturers are
manufacturing them just as fast as
they can and paying her royalties
through me! Boy, the dolls have been
going like wildfire! The first batch of
orders for twenty-six thousand, and
"You mean," interrupted Cass Odom,
that they'll pay her money Just for the
right to make those dolls?"
"Hrrmph!" Gid cleared his throat
pompously. Twill they!" he echoed
with scornful emphasis. Hell, they
have! Lookahere!"
He drew a blue slip Of paper from
his pocket, a check. He held this up
before the eyes Of Cass-gray eyes
that no longer blinked as If to clear
away a blur.
Cass Odom slowly stood up. "You
and Nancy get this-with JESSIE" he
said, his voice strong but shaking a
little at the end. His gaunt features
twitched into a smile of happiness to
come.