Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-02-22
by
Octavus Roy
COHEN

} And as salve for his injured pride
Mx. Rogers labored with incrpasin,
1eAA on his Dawn Dance. He enlisted
the ale OF certain friends and let 4
4 De understood that this was 20 be thu
most social event Of the high schoo
Tickets sold like hot cakes, and Mr.
\ Rogers commenced to forget the many
( WOUNDS which had been inflicted upon
I INN py Coot Warning and his friends
He venoed no tickets on credit and
mace great show Of investigating So
cla4 credentials and Of inScribing names
on tne yellow bits OF pasteboard be-
iort accepting payment. Capital was
made Of the fact that the tickets were
not transferable.
Several days before the Dawn Dance.
hdr. rogers found himself In possess
son OF more money than he had ever
handled before in his life.
he rirSt thought to entrust this huge
sum 70 his parents. But this idea was
discarded instantly. Mr.. Rogers ST.. was
parucularly opposed to the idea Of any
boy having much money In his pOck-
ets-and Stew Meat knew that II either
parent learned Of his new affluence
they would foroibly deposit HIS prof.
its IN the bank
Now Stew Meat believed that money
was supposed to be spent and he
proceeded to spend 1t. But before in
dulglng various conceits which had
occurred to him in past months-and
when, until this moment. he had been
unable to afford-he carefully laid aside
sum OF money exactly sufficient to
pay the liked expenses of his Dawn
Dance. SO much for the loot Sweeters.
so much for the rent of Epic Peters
roadhouse, so much for the hire OF his
own dinner suit and automobile for the
gaia evening. He placed this money in |
a canvas sack borrowed from his moth |
ers Ice box. Then he turned the an
cient mattress which covered his mod |
est couch, made a careful incision
snersln and hid the packet of money
inside the mattress.
Mr Rogers was assuming a new i'm
0oftance in the community. Even
Stogie Crabb found pale satisfaction in
.iodlng MIN about the fake initiation
AFTER all, he was now q successful man
d affairs-launched upon a money!
career. And the gala day was
lose at hand.
Saturday, May IA. A heavy pail of
imoke hung over the city of BirIning-
Jam IN The early morning, but Stew
Neat was up before o'clock. There
vas a smile in his eyes and tune-0f
orts-on his lips. At 7:30 he had fin 4
Sned breakfast and was circulating
nrough Darktown, checking I'D details
ma making last minute ARRANGEMENTS.
The day was exhausting but pleasant.
AcquaintanceS Of about his own age
egarded Stew Meat with awe, but I'M
llxed with reverence. It was generally
nderstood that the Dawn Dance was
lckiiy starred and that much money
,o9Id roll into the chemically empty
ockets of Mr.. Rogers.
AT D O'Clock Mr.. Rogers entered his
ONE IN gay hunor. His male par
az was on the tiny veranda cane bot
'med chair tilted back, feet on the :
III, corncob pipe in mouth. Stew Meat E
ayed respectfully and vanished in
oors-where he plunged with vast en-
lusiasm into the task of identifying
lmself for the night
New linen gayly striped. gray socks,
itent leather shoes; a rented dinner
70 which fitted him elegantly except
q lew spots; a pleated dinner shirt,
limestone studs and cuff links. white
w Cie-and then, TO make perfection
ore perfect, new and snowy pair Of
1t was $50 before Mr.. Rogers felt
at he was raimented as impeccably
behooved the promoter Of the Dawn
nee. He made considerable use of
800. 49, ~ NStAS4AAB duIIlOElballFE EcS-
res. He welcomed imaginary persons.
NED greetings to strangers, gave mute
Then he prepared to depart. He A
liked to his bed and turned back II
2 covers.
Mr: Stew Meat stepped back. His
united insouciance vanished: his law N
opped; his boyish eyes filled with '
rror.
o whoa Is mel" he moaned, and
req agatn-with amazement and dis
ief--at a fine new mattress. 4
new mattressl The newest mattressl
". Meat had ever seenl A mattressl
ich ordinarily would have filled his
aritic soul with delight but 80
len now marked disaster unthink-
or a half dozen awful, CHASTITY mo- 8
1ts he stared. This wasn't the old Z
5tress done over. Not a chance. It 8
q new one, fresh from the shop
and, most horrible Of all, was the
lght that his old mattress had van
d.
nd so had the Dawn Dance expense
leyl s les