The Coolidge examiner., 1935-10-04

! INJURED a, last i vas afraid-per.
haps-"
Afraid os whaiT'
Il though, maybe Roddy's wife
might no, approve Of me-beeausc
o. dad
The angry red sprang into So
I phTonla's cheeks "She won't ap-
prove % me. neither. thcn-i'm
Jlm's sister. Corinne Msader ought
20 BE- glad she's got a home 20 come
( io. " | know anything. And
don't think she'll be fool enough
+ 70 listen 20 every Tom Dlck-and-
E Harry's yarns. And II she does
lei her Jasonu stay with them
In The new house. cause he fxed up
Z his own room In the attic there jusf
The wHy he likes it--wlth a skyllEht
an all FOR his funny oil palniln'
Jason's a queer one-but he won't
bother Corlnne. unless she can't
stand him and bis mouth organ"
You said something about yarns
Phronie. " Silver said do you mean
things that fellow az the station las,
night has said about mef-
Sophronia hesitated for a mo-
menL We'll. there's no use tryln'
10 hide from you wha, you'll ind
on, for yourself anyhow. sooner or
later. You know what people are,
just as well as DO. when they've
got nothing 10 do. they'll talk. Did
you see that Duke Melbank when
he Was 10 Chicago this summerf"
Dad said he came Into our place
one night. but don't remember
seeing him. SO many people used
TO come and 20"
Well. he ain't worth remember.
In. But be has been talkin' since
he came back
Silver laughed ruefully. "was he
taking about dadY'
"well-mos,ly about you
Color rushed into Silvers checks
About mel What does that erea.
ture know about met"
SophronIa smiled rcAssuringiy.
~Setbe people talk mos, when they
know least. As far as I can make
out-the boys have been teilin' me
Duke don, say 50 much. but be
hints plenty. There was = friend
of llm's. wasn't sherc1 A fellow by
the name OF Lucas. ! think"
Gerald Iucas.~ Silver said. with
her eyes axed upon the downward
slope Of the bill 4, met him sir
months ago-two months Ago-I
thought | wanted 10 marry him
what manner of fellow was he!"
Phronle asked. conversailonally.
Gerald used TO practice law out
West. but he got into some sort Of
trouble and was disbarred Now
he's against the world-and the
world Is against him"
Sophronia nodded sagely. Il
guess understand. Them ouicasts
appeal 10 women. I'm glad you got
away from him without anything
worse happenin."
SllVer's eyes daried 20 her aunts
face. Her heart sank. Sophronia
was OF another world. a good won.
an. placIdly taking Il for granted
that her niece was still vlrtuous
over the bleak loneliness that
welled up within her. Silver re.
solved that Il was better not TO dis
Illusion Phronle. After all, she
need never know.
Yes" silver said breathlessly.
looking away. Il might have mar
ried him. That would have been
worse But ! told dad how I felt
about hlm-and | knew rs soon as
had told him thar I'd rather die
than marry Gerald. ! can't explain
Il TO you. Phronie When was
away from him. I almost hated him.
But rs soon as he came back | was
well. just can't explain Il. II
was sort Of hypnotized'
$50 that was why Jim decided
10 leave II all. eht" Phronle asked
with surprising shrewdness Duke
Melbank has been tellin' II around
that he seen you with him that
night In Chicago. and you seemed
kind o. stuck on him. thought
maybe Jim would have the sense 20
get you out of a mess Ike that"
Yes" Silver said in n duh voice
~He wanted TO get away because
OF me-partly. Ycn see-he never
seemed to realize that ] was grow
Ing up"
THAT would be like Jim :"
Phronie explained and wiped her
eyes. Land sakes-let's not talk
about Il any more. You're here
safe with me. you poor child
Everything's all right from now on
She brought her tremendous Ion:
arm down about Silver's shoulders,
drew her awkwardly toward her
for an instant, then got nightly TO
her feet.
Well" she blurted out. you
take a walk around and get ac-
quainted with the place. I'll 20
down and fix dinner"
Silver watched the tall, gaunt
woman stride away toward the
house. then she walked to the east
ern slope OF the hillside and seated