Newspaper Page Text
WHITE GOODS
' (Continued from preceding pace)
could get A license fd Just klrfnnp
you tonight if if we could get one."
"You you didn't mean that."
"Sure I did." Peachy. Sny, with a
Jlttle girl of my own I ain't one of
them guy that you think I am. Ain't
.yu ashamed of yourself, 1'eachjr
row, ain't you?"
The color flawed back into her face
mnd her lips pnrted.
"Jerry Only a girl like rue'a got
o be careful thut waa oil I meant.
Jerry. Jerry 1"
He seoopiKl her in his short arms
nd kissed her lips, with her small face
crumpled up agulnHt his shoulder, and
ahe lay quiescent enough In his em
brace. "Aw, now. Peachy, you mustn't treat
fellow cmd no morel Ain't I going
to marry you J Ain't I going to set
.you up right In my house out In New
ton Heights? Ain't you going to lire
right In the house with my girl, and
ain't she going to have you for a little
stepmother "
"Jerry, the the little girl. I wonder
tf she w ants "
"Sure she does. Her mother gets
Jner every other month. Td let her go
for good if you don't want her, except
It would do her mother too much good.
The courts give her to me every other
month and I'll have her down to the
lAst minute of the last hour or bust"
"Jerry P
"That's what I gotta keep up the
louse out there for. The court says I
cotta give her a home, and that's why
I want a little queen like you la It
,Iad I Won't her mother throw a red-
needed fit when she sees the UtUe
iueen I picked?, OadP
"Oh, Jerry, her your first wife and
all I Won't It seem funny my going In
tier house and end living with her
kid."
CHAPTER IV.
"Funny nothing. Cloonon won't
think It's funny when I tell her she's
finished running my house for roe.
Funny nothing. (Tomorrow's Sunday
and I'm going to take you out In the
afternoon and show you the place, and
.Monday, Instead of going to your bar
ain bin, we're going down for a
license, and you kiss the old hag good
ty for me, too. Eh, how's that for one
day's work?"
"Gee ! and and Monday the spring
opening and me not there. Jerry, I I
an't get over me being a lady in my
own house. Me I Me that hates ugli
ness and ugly clothes and ugly living
o. Me that hates street cars and al
ways even hated boat excursions 'cause
they was poor folks' pleasures. Me a
9ady In my own house. Oh, Jerry!"
She quivered In his arms and he
kissed her .again with his moist Hps
pressed flat against hers.
"Ten rooms, Peachy that's the way
I do things."
They were curving up a gravel way,
lights gleamed, and there came the re
nder strains of syncopnted music.
She sat up and brushed back her
Jialr.
"Is this the placer
"Rlght-ot Now for that steak
mothered In mushrooms, and, gad I I
rould manage a sweetbread salad on
the side If you asked me right hard."
. They drew up In the flood-llgh of
the entrance.
"Ain't I told you not to open the
loor for me, George? I don't need no
tilaek hand reaching back here to turn
the handle for me. That dop't mnke
tip for bad driving; Black hands off."
"Jerry I"
They alighted with an uncramplng
nd unbending of limbs.
"How'd some Lynnhavens taste to
you for a starter, Peachy?"
"Fine, whatever they are."
A liveried attendant bowed them up
the steps.
In the heart of a silence as deep as
bottomless pool, with the black hours
that tiptoe on the heels of midnight
hroudlng her like a nun's wimple,
limbs trembling and her hands reluc
tant, Sadie Baruet knocked lightly at
lier door,, once, twice, thrice, and be
tween euch rap her heurt beat with
twice its tempo against her breast.
Then her stealthy hand turned the
white china knob and released it so
that It sprang backward with a click.
"Who's that?"
"Me, Dee Dec."
She could hear the plong of the bed
prlng, tiie putter of bare feet across
the floor j feti the slight aperture of
the opening door. She oozed through
the slit.
"All right. Dee Dee."
"God! I must have been sound
asleep. What time Is It?"
"It Isn't late. Dee Dee."
"Light the gns."
"I I can undress In the dark."
"Light the gus."
"Light It, I say."
"It's lit, Dee Dee."
The figure In the center of the room,
In her high-necked, long-sleeved night
dress, her sparse hair drawn with un
pleasant tension from her brow, her
rale eyes wide, moved forward a step,
one bare foot, calloused even across
the Instep, extended.
"Lit?"
"Dee Dee, what's the matter?"
"Gimme my glasses."
She took them 'from Miss Barnet's
trembling fingers and curved them
bout her ears.
'"Quit your nonsense now and light the
jgiis. I ain't In no humor for foolln'.
Quit waving that little spark In front
of me. Light the gas. I ain't going to
look at the clock. I'm done worrying
About your carryings-on. I'm done.
Light the gas, Sadie, there's a good
lrl. Light the gas."
. "Dee Dee ! My God! Dee Dee, I
I tell you It's lit big."
"There's a good girl, Sadie. Don't
fool your old aunt."
"See, dearie, I ain't fooling. See, the
gas-jet here beside the dresser. Look
I can't turn It no higher. Hear It sing
and splutter. You ain't awake good
jet. Dee Dee."
Silence the enr-spllttlng silence that
all In Its brief moment Is crammed
with years and years upon years. A
cold gray wash seemed suddenly to
flow over Miss Worte's face.
"Put my finger next to the gas flame.
You you're lying to me to to fool
your old aunt Lemme feel my finger
get burnt."
They moved, these two, across the
floor, their blanched faces straining
ahead. With the sudden sting of heat
Anally across her palm, reddening It.
Miss Worte flung wide her arms and
her head backward, and her voice tore
out without restraint
"God I God I God I" And she fell to
trembling so that her kneet gave way
under her and she crouched on the
floor with her face bared to the celling,
rocking herself back and forth, beating
her fists against her flat breasts.
"God I God I God!"
"Dee Dee darling, It ain't nothing!
A little too much strain, that's all.
'Shh-h-h! Lemme bathe them. 'Shh-h-h,
my darling. Oh, my God! darling!
'Shh-h-h '."
"Len.ine go I Lemme go I lie told
me today It would come like this I Only
he didn't say how soon. Not how soon.
Pm done for, I tell you! I'm done I
Kill me, Sadie: If yea love me, kjmel
lie told me and I wouldn't believe' It I
Kill me, glrL and put me out of It I
I can't breathe In the darkt I cant I
X caatt I cant live in the dark with
my eyes open! Kill me, girt, and put
me out of It kill me! KM me!"
"Dee Dee, my darling, alnt I right
here with you? Dldnt you always say,
darling, when It came you you'd face
itr
"I'm done! Kill met Kill me! Don't
make me live In the dark with my
eyes open dofl't ! There's a good girl,
8adle. Don't! Don't! Don't!"
From the room adjoining came a
rattling at the barred door between.
"Cut It, in there! This ain't no bar
room. Go tell your D. T.'s to a polfoe
cian." . . .
They crouched closer and trembling.
" 'Shh-h-h I Dee Dee darling, try to
be easy and not raise the house try!"
Miss ,Worte lay back exhausted
against Miss Bartiet's engulfing arms,
Her passion ehned suddenly and her
words came scant. Incoherent and full
of breath.
"No use. No use. He told me to
day he wouldn't operate. He told me.
No, no, all the colors so pale even the
reds so pale! lavender and blue I
I Just couldn't tell. I couldn't Oh,'
my God ! Oh, my Ood !"
"'Shh-h-h, darling t Don't take on
so! Walt till morning and we'll get
new drops from him. 'Shh-h-h ! Maybe
It's only strain."
"I know. I'm In the dark for good,
Sadie. Oh, my God! I'm Irt the dark!
Lemme die ! Lemme die P
" 'Shh-h-h darling That's It rest
quiet"
Suddenly Miss Worte flung up one
arm abcut Sadie Barnet's neck, press
ing her head downward until their
faces touched. .
"IVe Dee darling, you you hurt"
"You won't never leave me, Sadie.
You won't leave me alone in the dark,
Sadie?"
"No no, my darling; you know I
wont, never, never."
"Youll keep me with you always,
promise me that Sadie. Promise me,
little Sadie, you won't leave your aunt
Dee Dee alono In the dark. My poor
little girl, don't leave me alone In the
dark. I cant see; Sadie, I cant see
no more. Promise me, Sadie, promise
me, promise roe P
From Sadie Barnet's heart, weaken
ing her like the loss of blood, flowed
her tears. She kissed the heart of
Edith Wrote where It beat like a clock
beneath the high-necked nightdress;
she made of her bosom a pillow of
mercy and drew the head op to Its
warmth.
"I I promise. Dee Dee. Sure I
promise. Always will I keep you with
me, darling, always, always, so help
me, always."
(Continued on page 6)
Keep December 22 open. That's the
night that a man .tells "Nothing But
the 'Truth" for twenty-four hour. .
Cfflmrmmmiiiiiinnnnmtm
f
f
f
t
i
f
-
CHRISTMAS
GREETINGS
i
i
i
i
We are able to offer you all of the table delicacies that the
market affords, and you are invited to our store to select
them. Come early, while the getting is good.
Turkeys are scarce and a little higher than they were at
Thanksgiving time, but we'll have them just the same Get 3
your order in early so that you will be sure to get a nice one. a
We will have plenty of lat geese, ducks and hens lor every
body. Remember that we are headquarters for Candies and
Nuts of every kind that you care for.
Apples, Oranges, Pears, Bananas, Grapes, Grapefruit,
Lemons and Coconuts. Lettuce, Cabbage, Sweet Potatoes,
Celery, Parsley, Onions, Tomatoes, Cranberries, Squash and
Pumpkins.
For your fancy cooking we have all the "hifalutin" in
gredients that you will need to "do 'er up brown."
We have a nice selection of Christmas Trees.
We wish to thank you for your patronage, and wish you
all a Merry Christmas.
Rodgers Grocery
The Best Heat
i
Comes From High Grade Coal
There's a vast difference in the coal you can buy. One coal is
good for one purpose while another gives better results under
other conditions. It is our business as coal dealers to help our
patrons choose the .
Right Coal For the Purpose
to which you put it. We invite you to consult us when ordering
your next supply. We believe we can help you get the best value
for your money. .
.
Screening and Handling Helps
The coal from our yards is watched carefully while in our bins,
not to break it into smaller pieces. We screen it well and take care
A Good Supply In Stock NOW
KIRBY AND COLORADO COAL
W . Both Lump and Nut -'.'WEH-
Our Holiday Wish
Appreciating your business and hoping that the pleasant relations
now existing between us will continue, we wish you much happiness
and prosperity for the New Year.
O'Bannon and Neuswanger
COAL, FLOUR AND FEED
Phone No. 7l
204 West Third
sWraWWwTOW!aTiWsWSWiSSWW
ft
i
Prompt Service
For Coal Buyers
t
In addition to keeping a good supply of quality fuel
in stock. We specialize in Prompt Service to cur patrons.
Just call Phone 501 lor your next order.
KIRBY AND COLORADO COAL
Nut or Lump
PLEAZALL AND 'HIGH TWELVE
Both are Satisfactory Flours that you can depend on.
All Kinds of Feed in Stock
CHRISTMAS GREETING
We wish you a Merry Christmas this holiday season,
hoping to merit the continuance of your patronage and
friendship.
Farmers' Union
Phone 501
R. J. TRABERT, Manager I
i
?
j
f
f
.
X
r
i .
t
i
f
f
t.
i
?
r
Make Usefulness the Keynote
of Christmas Shopping this Year
The financial situation this holiday season seems to us the
strongest reason for buying with judgment The useful gift has
added advantage that it serves a real-purpose in the life of the re
cipient. ,
Carving Sets
Every woman
needs a good
carving set in
her work. In
stag and bone
handles.
ROASTERS
Surprise the wife,
and save money
on future pre-
par ation rt
meats.
-fT O
Ice Skates, rocker and hockey,
at $1.50 up.
Janesville Coaster, is ball
bearing, making it easy run
ning. Come with either steel
disk or wood wheels, in three
sizes at
$10.75 to $13.50
Pocket Cutlery, large selec
tion, for everybody, from
15c to $5.00
Quick Lite Gasoline Lamps
Burgess Flashlights
Pyrex Ware
Aluminum Ware
Percolators
PEERLESS WRENCH SETS
Any man who uses wrenches will never
forget the person who gives him one of
these sets. The best of its kind. At
$3.75 to $17.50
SPECIAL ROLLER SKATE
A ball-bearing, adjustable, good, strong
skate absolutely worth the money. Spe
cial price, as long as they last
$2.10 a Pair
Rhein Hardware Co.
PROMPT AND COURTEOUS SERVICE
i
i
j
i
i
i
i
i
t
i
i
I
I
i
i
I
t
l
i
J
i
i
i
k
KWWSWstWMmssCMtftWsia
