Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-03-24

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stepmother had never liked him. With
out being actually unkind she had let
him know that she rather despised
him, and that even with Freeman Dex-
ter for father, he somehow lacked
class.
Mile came to the door and when
Jeremy hastily thrust Buddy's letter
into his pocket she pretended not to
see. That was one Of the many nice
things about Mile, she never saw
anything that wasn't intended for her,
and no matter what happened she
could smile
She had some color in her face, now,
and her curves were coming back. My,
but that was a bad time back in Oc-
tober when she had double pneumonia
and all but passed out. 1t made Jer-
envy sweat even now to think of it.
She sat down on the step beside him
In her kimono, and he tucked her hand
into his.
What you going to do with your
self today, lazybones?" she asked, with
her soft drawing chuckle.
Il dunno" Jeremy replied. What
do you want to do?"
She gave him a little push.
That's just like you. Forget every
thing, don't you?"
Jeremy pulled himself together. Yes,
he remembered now Mrs G. B. Lati-
mer, whom Mile had met on the
beach. had invited her TO lunch at the
Royal Palm Hotel today. She didn't
often get such nice invitations. All of
yesterday she had been mending and
pressing her finery and this morning
she had washed her hair and done a
job of manicuring. They were going
to play contract after lunch, and she
might 10
Mile Dexter played very good game
Here's ten bucks for you" said
Jeremy, peeling a note off his dimin-
ished roll. He did it with the air of a
millionaire and gave her a kiss into
the bargain. Mile didn't quite know
how hard up they were, and she &C
proffered it.
Il hardly like to ask you" she said,
because know we haven't got much
money to burn"
Don't you believe it." said Jeremy.
I'VE got plenty"
Handing over the ten-dollar bill to
Mile to gamble away at bridge, if her
luck happened to go wrong, seemed to
set the seal on their staying here
Something had jolly well got to turn
up. now.
It packed you lunch in case you
felt like going fishing" said Mile,
before she went back into the trailer
to dress.
Jeremy thanked her but he did not
particularly want to go fishing. What
he really wanted to do was Just to sit
here worrying himself blue in the face.
sort of paralysis was closing in on
him. He'd got to shake out of it, do
something. Holy smoke, wasn't there
anything an able-bodied man could do
kpan Wifi ", 10
until the winter was well over? 1t
didn't cost so much just to eat He
simply could not leave her, because she
still needed looking after, and any
way it would be like death to be parted
from her. In October they had nearly
been parted forever.
Mile came out again all ready for
the party. and set little basket COW
cred with a snowy napkin on the step
beside him.
She looked so young and pretty, even
if her dress was old and her hat home
made. She held her parasol slantwise
against the sun and wrinkled up her
nose as she blew Jeremy a kiss.
Il bet I'll find you sitting there
when I come back" she said.
Il bet you five bucks you don't"
Jeremy replied
But he sat there a little longer, just
the same. He felt as though he was
glued 10 those steps.
Funny thing about this place, Fort
Myers. All so changed, it was. Funny
he should have wanted to come here
again, yet so far had made no move
to see if he could find out anything
about that Peterson family. Emily Pet
erson, the woman's name was, and
there were ''pappy and the boys" al
fh0nUh Jeremy them
How annoyed Eleanor, his stepmoth-
er, had been. when his father had
dragged them away from St Augustine
to this spot which in those days had
not been in the least fashionable. They
had stayed less than a week. but dur
ing that time Jeremy Dexter had had
two experiences that were TO remain
with him all the rest OF his life. One
was thrilling, the other slightly mys-
FERROUS.
He found himself thinking of them
now. of that moment when his father
who was a big man in his own way
and had helped 10 lay Mr.. Flagler's
new railroad pushed forward and
said: Shake hands with Mr.. Thomas
Alva Edison, son, and be proud 10 re-
member what a privilege it is
Mr.. Edison had a winter home here
and had come into the hotel for some
thing. 1t happened that JeremyS father
knew him.
Well. that was the thrilling expert
ence. The mysterious one had to do
with the Petersons, undoubtedly a
cracker family of no Importance at all.
Yet despite the fact that he had only
been a child at the time, Jeremy had
somehow got the impression that his
father had brought them to Fort Myers
more on account of the PeterSons
than on the chance of their happen
ing to run into Mr.. Edison
The very day after he had taken
Jeremy on that memorable drive to
Blue River. he had said: All right,
Eleanor, have it your own way. Well
go back to st. Augustine if you like"
And back they had gone to ST. Aug
Justine. where you had to be dressed up
all the time and it wasn't half as much
fun for a small boy as Fort Myers
Nobody dressed up in Fort Myers in
those days, and there was just ram
Sharkla old nipr connie small .