Indianapolis Times, Volume 35, Number 198, Indianapolis, Marion County, 28 December 1922 — Page 8

8

A Hoosier Chronicle By MEREDITH NICHOLSON First Novel in thè Times Series of Fiction Stories by Indiana Writers (Copyright. 1512. by Meredith Nicholson.)

“Please be reasonable., ITallie. Miss Garrison was only herc a few minutes. And as I knew noises on thè veranda had disturbed you. I tried to speak in a low tone. We wcre speaking of Blackford.” “Well, I’d like you to know that T rmployed that siri to romedv your mistakes in trying to educate Blaekford. and if she has any report to make she can make it to me.” He took a stop toward Iter and seized thè aut-stretched hand roughly. “You are out of your senses or you wouldn’t speak in this way of Miss Garrison. She's been a kind friend to you all summer: you’ve told me yourself how she’s gone up to brusii your hair and do little things for you that thè nurse oouldn’t do as well. You’ve grown morbid from being ili se long, but nothing was ever more infamous than your insinuations against Miss Garrison. She’s a noble girl and it’s not surprising that Aunt Sally should like her. Everybody l:kes her!” Having delivered this blow he settled himself more firmly on his feet and glared. “Everybody likes her!” she repeated. snatching away her hand. “I’d like to know how voti come to know so mudi ahout her.” “I know enough about her: I know all about her!” “Then you know more than anyhody else does. Xobody else seems to know anything, about her!” she ended triumphantly. “There you go again with insinuations! It's ungenerous, it’s unlike you.” “Morton Bassett.” she went on huskily, “if you took some interest in your own ehildrcn it would be more to your credit. You blamed me for letting Marian go to thè Willings’ and then telegraphed for her to come home. It’s a beautiful relationship you have estahlished with vour chitdren! She hasn’t even answered your telegram. But I suppose if she had you’d have kept it from me. The newspapers talk about your secretive ways. but thev don't know you, Mortori Bassett. us 1 do. I suppose you can’t imagine yourself entertaining Marian on tlie veranda or walking with her, talking and laughing. as I saw you with that girl.” “Well, thank God ihere’s somebody I can talk and langli with! I'm glad to be able to teli you that Marian will be home tomorrow. You may have thè satisfaction f knowing that :f you would let her go to thè Willings’ with Alien Thatcher i can at least bring her back aster you fallcd to do it.” “So you did bear frolli her. diil you! Of course voti i-ouMn't liuvi ri -lei me: I suppose you confido in Miss Garrison now," .-he ended drearily. His wife’s fatigue. betrayed in her tirecì voict did not mitigai - thè - with whieh he wished to punirli her referencos to Sylvia. And he delivered it with careful calculalion. “You are quite right. Halli' . I did speak to Miss Garrison about Marian. Miss Garrison has gone t<> bring Marian home. Thaf's all; go to bod." ’IIAPTER XXVII The announcernent that Harwood was preparine to attack thè reorganization of the White Ri ver (’anneries Corporation renevv d thè hopes of many victims of that experiment iti high finance. and most of th< daims reaehed Dan’s office that summer. The legai points involved were sufficiently difficult to evoke his best < nergies. and he dug diligeiitlv in thè State library preparine: his case. He was onjoying thè cool. cairn hoights of a new freedom. Many older nien were cking out a bare living al thè. law, and thè ranks were sadly overcrowded, but he faced thè futuro confldently. He meant to praotice law aster ideala estahlished by rnen whose names are stili potent in thè community: he would not race with the ambulane* to pick up damago suits. and he refused divorce casfs and small collection business. He meant to he a lawyer, not a scandal-hunting detentive or purxuer of small debtors with a constahle’s process. He tried to forget politics, and yet, in spite of his indifference, liardly a fav pass e d that did not bring visitors to hit office bent ui>o!i discussine thè outlook. Many of these were froin the country; men wlio, like Ramsay. were hopeful of at. last getting rid of Bassett. Some of his risitors wer* young lawvers like himself. most of them graduates of the State coliegee, who were. disposed to take their poi itics seriously. Xor were these all of his own party. He sound that many young Repiiblicans. affeeted hv thè prevailing ttnrest. held practically his own views on national questions. Several times he gathered up half a doz.en of these acquaintances for frugai dinners in thè University Club, rath skeller. or they met in the saloon af fected by Allen’s friends of l.uders’s carpenter shop. Ile wanted theni to see all sides of the pinture, and he en eouraged them to crystallize their fears and hope: more patrioti sm and less partlsanship. they all areeri. was the thing most reeded in Amen- a. Alien appeared in Dan’s office tinoxpeetedly one hot tnorning and sat down on a chair piled with open laivhooks. Alien had henefite.l by bis month’s so-journ in thè Adirondacks and subseqnent crliises in his niotor ear had tanned his face hc.-nmingt\. He was far from rugged, but he declared that he expe< ted to live forever. •‘l’m full of dark tidincs! Murh has hapnened within fotrty eight hours See about our RTnash-tip in Chicago! Must have read it in thè newspapers ■*” “A nico. odorons niess.” hsrrt c<i Dan. tilling his pipe “T’ni pained to see that you go chasme armmd witti thè plutocrats smaslting lamp posts in our large -entres of i>opulation. That sort of thing is houtid to cstahlish your reputatimi as the friend cf the oppressed. Was the chauf ft-ur’s funeral l.irgely attended?” “Pshaw: he was only scratclied: we chucked him into thè hospital to keep him from heing arrested, tliat was all. Hook herc. old man. you donY seem terribly sympathetic. May he you didn’t notine that it was my ear that got smashed! It iooked like a Junk deaJer’s back yard when they pulied ua out. I told them to throw

it into the lako: I’ve just ordered a new car. I never cared for that one much anyhow.” “Another good note for the boys ;• round Luders’s joint! You’re identified forever with the red-necked arislocrats who smash fìve thousand oliar motors and throw them away. You’d better go out in the hall and read the sign on the door. I’m a lawyer, not a father confessor to the undeserving rich.” “This is serious, Dan,” Alien rentonstrated, twirling his straw hat nervously. “All that happened In connection with the smash-up didn’t get into the newspapers.” “The Advertiser had enough of it; they printed, published, and uttered an extra with Marian’s picture next to yours on the tirst page! You can’t coniplain of the publicity you got out of that light adventure. How much space do you think it was vvorth?” ■ “Stop chaffing and bear me out! I’m up against a whole lot of trouble, and I carne to get your advice. You sea, Dan, the Bassets didn’t know Marian was going on that automobile trip. Her mother had written her to leave the Willings’ and go home—twice! And j her father telegTaphed—after we loft i the fami. She never got the telegram. i Then, when Mr. Bassett read of the smash in the papers, I guess he was tvarm clear through. You know he doesn’t cut loose very often; and —” “And he jumped on the train and went to Chicago to snatch Marian away from the Willings? I should think he would have don© just that.” “X’o; oh, no! He sent Sylvia!” cried Alien. “Sylvia carne up on thè night train, had a few words privately with Marian, took luncheon with the Willings, all as nice as you please, and off she went with Marian.” Harwood pressed his thumb into his pipe-bowl and puffed in silence for a j moment. Alien, satisfied that he had at last caught his friend’s attention, fanned himself furiously with his hat. “Well,” said Dan finally, “there's ! nothing so staggering in that. Sylvia’s | been staying at the lake; 1 suppose | Mrs. Bassett must have asked her to | go up and bring Marian home when j the papers screamed her daughter’s I narne in red ink. I understand that 1 Mrs. Bassett’s ili, and I suppose Basi seti didn’t like to leave her. What is there that troub’es vou about it, Alien?” His heart had warmed at the men* I tion of Sylvia, and he felt more kindly toward Alien now that she had tlashed across his Vision. Many times a day he sound Sylvia looking up at him from the pages of his hooks; this I fresh news hrought her ncar. Sylvia’s I journey to Chicago arguetl an intimacy with the Bassetts that he did not reconcile with his knowiedge of j lui acqua intani-e vvirh the family. He was arouscd by thè light touch of ; Alien s iiaiul on his knee. The young man bent toward him with a bright | light in li is eyes. "Vou know.” he said, “Marian and II are engaged!” “Vou’re what?" beliowed Dan. "Wci-c engaged, old man; we'rc engagé.!; It happened there at the WilI ling.s'. Vou know I loved bei - front the very tirst lime I saw her: It’s the h autifullest thing that ever •ante into my lifc. Vou doni know ! how happy ] am; it’s the kind of happiness: that makes you want to cry. Oh. you don't know; nobody could ever j know!” Dan rose and paeed the floor. while | Alien stood vvatching him eagcrly and pouring his heart out. Dan felt that ! tragedy loomed liere. He had never onsidered Allen’s interest in Marian serious; for Alien had to Dan’s knowiedge paid similar attentions to half :i doxcn other girls. Allen’s imagjnation made a goddess of evory pretty girl, atid Dan had set tlcd down to the helief that his friend saw in Marian only one of the many j light-footed Dianas visible in the city i thoroughfares. whotn he in vestc,) with deifii charms and apostrophized in glovving plirases. Dan’s common senso told him tliat I quite apart from the young people themselves there were reasons enough ; against. it. The news that. he had come, to tcrms of marriage witli Marian was in all thè eircumstances dismaying, and opened many dark prospeets. Alien stood a,t thè window I staring aerosa thè roofs beyond. He j W'hitied round as Dati addressed him. “Have you spoken to Mr. Bassett? You know that will be the tirst thing, Alien.” “I m telling yon this just io show you how it mixes up things for Marian and me. f carne lo you for help, | old man: and 1 wa.nl you to sep how i hard it is fot- me to go to Mr. Bas seti and teli him 1 watit to marry | Marian.” “Just a minute. Alien. Are you quite sure that Marian has made ttp her mind to marry you: that she re. ally wants to man A- anvbody?” “I teli you it’s all fixed! Vou don’t imply that Marian is tnerelv amusing ! herself at my expenso! n wouldnt he like you to think that. 1 bave always thought you liked Marian and saw how superi she is.” "Of course I like Marian.” said Dan bastili-, “My one hnpo is that both i of you will he happy: and thè rliffi ; < ulties vou have suggested only make that more importuni. Vou will have to wait I'm not sure bui that you ha' better keep this to yourselves for a while- —ma.vhe for a long lime. Il would he ivise for you to talk to Aunt Sally. She’s a good friend of yours, and one of thè wisest. of women.'* Tt was not in Allen's eye that be sought wisdont With him. as with most people ivho ask advice, advice was thè ]aM thing he wanted. It was bis way to unhosom himself. however. 'and he forged ahead witli his story, with what seemed to Harwood a mad jdniug failure to appreciate tts sin l'tei import. “You remember that when vvc ere ii| there on the Kankakee, John VVare told a story one night—a mighty good story about an expericuce he had once?” “Y*es; he told a lot of stories. Which one do you mean?” “Oh, the best one of all—alio ut the ; vvoman in the Adirondacks. Vou haven’t forgotten that?” "N'o; I lo remember something about it.” “Vou may not have noticeli that while Ware was telling the story dad got up from the bed in the corner

DOINGS OF THE DUI’TAS

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THEM DAVS IS GOXE FOREVER—

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and walked over to thè stove, aster Ware had asked you—it was you, wasn't it? —to reaeh iato thè pocket of bis coat over your head and set thè hook he was talking ahont—it was you he spoke to. wasn’t it?” "Ves; it eonies back to me now,” replied Dan, frowning. . “Well, 1 remember, lieta struek me as odd that dad shoilpT/jfy interested, it was Emersoti,

OUT OUR WAY—By WILLIAMS

THE OLD HOME TOWN—By STANLEY

know; and dad looked at thè hook in thè light from thè stove and asked ine what thè name was down in thè inside of thè cover, it was thè binder’s natile in small letters —Orpcutt. Well, there’s a long story about that. lt's a horrible story to know about any man; but dad had been trying to fìnd something he could use on Bassett. He’s had people—thè sort you Luti gel to do ucb Jobs —golng over

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

“Hai!, Ilail, The* Gang’s All Herc!”

Bassett’s whole. lise to find material. Dad says there’s always sotnething in every man’s lise that he wants to ltide and that if you keep looking you can find it. You see ” “I don’t like to see,” groivled Harwood. "it’s an ugly idea.” And then, with sudden scora for Thatcher’s views on man’s frailty, he said with emphasis: “Now, Alien, it’s all right for you to talk to m about Marian,

Some thing to Think About

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and your wish to marry her; but don’t mix scandal up in it. I’m not for that. I don’t want to bear any stories jf that kind about Bassett. Politics is rotten enough at best without tipping over the garbage canto find arguments. 1 don’t beUetf> your father ’s going to stoop to ìfiA To he reai frank with you, I donff think he can afford to.” "You'-vo gotto beat- iti YOU cau'V

FRECKLES AND HIS FRIENDS—By BLOSSER

OUR BOARDING HOUSE—By AHLRN

desert me now. I’m away up in thè air this morning, and even ìf you do hate this kind of thing, you’ve got to see where dad's hatred of Bassett puts Marian and me.” "It. puts you clean out. of it; away over thè ropes and honie! That's where it puts you,” boonied riod. ; \ to B* OmóJtaKsd

DEO. 28, 1922

—By ALLMAN

—By AL POSEN

Over thè Macedonian hills, flocka of sheep tortay are giving of their wool samc as when Ohrist’s strong man. Paul, saw them. In fact, this year they are unusually woolly. Only but of thè 780.000 okes tan oke is nearly three pounds) clipped from their backs this erop. all but 180,000 ekes wIU be exported to Serbia. Macedonica* must wmj Uwur Ua*- jm#