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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1918)
By KATHLEEN NORRIS Illustrated' by Bess Bethel! ELL, he has done It . now, confound his nerve!" said An thony Fox Sr. in a tone of almost tri umphant fury. He spread the loosely written sheets of a long letter on the breakfast table. "Here I am. Just out of a sick bed!" he pursued fretfully; "Just home from a month's Idling abroad, and now I'll have to go away out to California to lick some sense into, that young fool!" "For' heaven's sake, Tony, don't get yourself all worked' up!" said handsome, stately Mrs. Fox. much-more concerned for father than for son. "Of course I always knew some wom an would get hold of him." said Anthony Sr.. fumbting blindly for his mouth with n bit of toast, bis eyes still on the letter: "but, by Georg, this sounds like Charlie Kohs!" "Woman!" repeated Mrs. Fox with a relieved laugh. "Buddy's in love, is he? Uon't worry. Tony; It won't last! Of all boys in the world he's the least likely to be foolish that way!" . . "Of all boys in the World he's the kind that is easiest taken in!" said his father dryly, securing the toast at last with a savage snap. "H-m she's his landlady! Keeps fancy fowls and takes boarders ha! Says they rather hope to be married In June. This has quite a settled tone to It. for nuddy. 1 don't like the look of it!" "Nonsense!" said Mrs. Fox with dawn ing uneasiness. "You don't mean to say he considers himself seriously engaged? At 20! -r-hd to his landlady, too I never heard such nonsense! Buddy's in no posi tion to marry Who is the girl, anyway?" "Girl is good!" said the reader bitter ly "She's 32!" Mrs. Fox. herhand hovering over a finger bowl, grew rigid. "Thirty-two!" she choked blankly. Then, sharply: "Anthony, do you think you can stop it?" "I'll do what I can, believe me!" he nssured her grimly. "Yes. sir. she's 82! Py the way. Fanny, this letter's already a month old. Why haven't I had It be fore?" "You told them to hold only the office mall while you were traveling, you know," Mrs. Fox reminded him. "That one evidently has been following 'you. Anthony, can Tony marry without your consent?" "No-o. but of course he's of age in five months, and if she's got her hooks dep enough Into him. she oh, confound such yi complication, anyway!" '' "Oh. he'll surely cret over it," said Mrs. , Fox uncertainly. "He may. but you can bet she won't! Not before they're married, anyway. No, llud's the sort that gets it hard, when he does get it!" his father said. "There's a final tone about the whole thing that I don't like. Listen to this!" He quoted from the letter with a rueful shake of thej'head. "'I don't know what the dar ling girl sees in me, dad, but she has turned down enough other fellows to know her own mind. At last I realize what Mrs. Browning's wonderful son nets ' " "He doesn't say that?" ejaculated the listener Incredulously. " 'She doesn't know I am writing you,' " Mr. Fox read on grimly, " 'because 1 don't want her to worry about your ob jecting. But you won't object when you know her. She doesn't care anything about money, and says she will stick by me If we have to begin on an $80 job. You don't know how I love her, dad; it has changed my whole life. It's not Just because she's beautiful, and all that You will say that I am pretty young, but 1 know I can count on you for some sort of Job to begin with, and things will work out all right.' " -H-m!" said Mrs. Fox. "Yes, you're right, Tony. This is serious!" , "All worked out, you see." said the . man gloomily as he drummed absently on the letter. "Oh, Anthony, I can't help thinking of the Page boy, and that awful woman! Anthony, shall I go? Could I do any good if I went?" "No," he said thoughtfully.- "No, I'll go myself. Don't worry, Fanny,-there's still time. Isn't it a curious thing that It's a quiet little fellow like Bud that well, we'll see what can be done. I'll talk to this woman. She may think he has money of his own, you kndw. I'll buy her off It I can. Perhaps things can be de layed; perhaps' I can get him to go some where with me for a trip. Ill see. Bar ker can look me up a train and things her will have! to' waif. You'll see about , my things, will you. Fanny have 'em packed? ' Oh. and here's the letter pretty sick reading you'll find Itr "Be gentle with him! said Mrs. Fox, deep in the boy's letter; "Thirty-two! Why, she might be his mother in some countries she might, anyway. Anthony!" her Voice' stopped htra ab the door "is her n araeSally Mix?" r "Apparently,"; he said, . VCan you beat it? Sounds like a, drink!" ; - , "Well." aaid Mrs. Fox firmly; as If the ; nam clenched the. matter, "it must be 1b jg ' eft I stopped, that's all! Sally Mix! I hope she's .white!" Just a week later, in California, An . thony Fox slammed the gate of Miss Mix's garden loudly behind him and eyed the Mix homestead with, disapproval. "Mr. Fox won't be here until noon," said the maid In answer to his question. "Does Miss could I see Miss Mix?" substituted Anthony after a moment's , thought. He took a porch chair while she de parted to find out. "If you please," said the maid, sudden ly reappearing, "Miss Mix Is setting a Plymouth, and will you step right down?" Anthony eyed her suspiciously, but there was evidently , nothing concealed behind her Innocence of manner. Finally be followed the path she Indicated as leading to Miss Mix. He followed it past the house, past clothes drying on linet, past scattered apple trees with white washed trunks, and down a board walk to the chicken, yard. No one was In sight. Anthony rattled the gate tentatively. A slim, neat, black Minorca fowl made an' insulting remark about him to another hen. Both chuckled. "Come In come in and shut It!" called a . clear voice from the- interior of the chicken-house. Anthony's jaw stiffened. "May I speak to you?" he called with as much dignity as a person shouting at an utter stranger across an unfamiliar yard may command. "Certainly! Come right In!" called the voice briskly. Seeing nothing else to do, Anthony un willingly crossed the yard and stepped Into the pleasant, whitewashed gloom of the chicken -house. Loose chaff was scat tered on the floor and whitewashed boxes lined the wallsl An adjoining shed held the roosts, which a few murmuring fowls were looping with heavy flights. As he entered, a young woman in blue linen shut a gray hen into ,a box and turned a pleasantly inquiring glance upon him. "Good morning!" she said, smiling. "I knew you would want to see f the thing sooner or later, so I asked Statia to show you right down here. Now, there's the trap" she indicated a mass of loos Chains and metal teeth on the floor "and here's the key; but it simply won't work!" -Anthony was not following. He was staring at her. She was extremely pretty; that he had expected. But he had not ex pected that she she well, he was not prepared for this sort of a woman at all! He must go slow here. He she Bud "I beg your pardon," he interrupted himself to stammer apologetically. "I didn't catch you were saying " "The trap!" she said, smiling. "Ah, the trap!" repeated Anthony in anely. . "Certainly!" she said, with a hint of Impatience. Then, as he still stared, she added quickly: "You're the man from Petaluma? You came to fix it, didn't you?" "Not at all," said Anthony, smiling. "I came from New York." Light dawned in the girl's eyes. She gave a horrified laugh. "Well, how stupid of me!" she ejacu lated. "Of course, I thought you were. I'm expecting- a man to fix the trap, any day, and you sent no name. I bought this affair a week ago; there's a coon, or ' a fox, or something,, that's been coming3 down from the hills after my pullets; but It won't work." "I don't know anything about traps." said Anthony. . He was wondering how he had best in troduce himself. The vague campaign that he had outlined on1 those restless nights In the train would' be useless here, he had decided. As he spoke he absently touched the tangled chains and bolts with his foot. "Don't do that!" screamed Miss Mix. At the same second there was a vic torious convulsion of metal teeth, and . Anthony found himself frantically Jerk ing at his foot, which was fast in. the trap. "Oh, you're caught! You are caught!" cried the girl distressedly. Her eyes, full of concern and sympa thy, met his for a second; then, sudden- ly, she broke Into laughter. "Why, confound the thing!" said An thony In pained surprise, as he struggled and twisted. "How does it open?" "It doesn't!" choked Miss Mix, her mirth quite beyond control, as she gave various futile little Uugs and twitches at the trap., That's the trouble! The key never has had the slightest effect. Oh, I will not laugh this way!" she upbraided .berselt sternly. "Bu bu bat you did v look so " She abruptly ' turned -her back upon him for a moment, facing him again with perfect calm, although with lashes still wet and suspicious little dim ples about he mouth. "Now I'll get you 'out of it Immediately." she assured him gravely; "and meanwhile I can't tell you how sorry' I am 'that Just sit on this box; youH be more comfortable. I'll run and ' telephone a plumber, or some, one." She paused in the doorway .i 1 "But I don't - know your name?" ,. , "Appropriately enough. It's Fox," said he briefly; "Anthony Fox." Miss Mix gasped, opened her mouth, ehut it without speaking, and gasped again. Then she sat dawn heavily on a box. . "Of New York I see!" said she,' but more as if , speaking to herself than to him. "Tony's father; he's written to you, and you've come all the way from New York to break It off . I see!" -4 "Are you Miss Mix?" said Antheny feebly. "I am." She nodded impatiently. "Sa rah Mix." . "Then you and my son " Antheny pursued patiently. "Didn't he write? Aren't you " "Engaged? Certainly we are," admit ted the lady with dignity. "And it woulrf Bo more than serve you right If we got ' , And then Sally married, after all!" she added, with a sudden smile. Antheny liked the smile. He smiled broadly in return. "If you got married! Do you mean you don't intend to?" "I see I'll have to tell you," said Miss Mix, suddenly casting hesitation to the winds. "Then we can talk. Yes, we're engaged. Mr. Fox. What else could I do? ' Antheny's 20; one can't treat him quite as if he were 6. He's absolutely unable to take care of himself; and I've always liked him always! How could I see a girl like Mollie Temple but of course you den'tfknow her. She's with the Giddy Middy company, playing in San Francisco now." "No, I don't know her," said Mr. Fox stiffly. "Well," continued Miss Mix, "her mother lives here in Palo Alto, and Mollie came home for September. Tony was just what she was looking for. A secret marriage, a sensational divorce, and ali mony Mollie asks nothing more of fatei She made him her slave." "Lord!" said Anthony. "Every one was talking about it," con tinued Miss Mix; "but I never dreamed of interfering until Thanksgiving, when the Temples planned a week's house party in Mill Valley, and asked Tony Jp go. That would have settled it; so I managed to see Tony, and from that day on I may say, I never let go of him. I took him about, I accompanied him when he sang just big-slstered him generally! I'm 32, you know, and I never dreamed he would but he did. New Year's night, Mr. Fox." "I see," said Anthony huskily. "Meanwhile," pursued Miss Mix,(glow lng delightedly in the sympathy of her listener, "I introduced him to the Rog er ses and the Peppers,' and lots of Jolly people, who are doing him a world of good. - He goes about he's developing. And now, just as I began to hope that the time had come when we could quietly break off our engagement, here you are, to make him .feel In honor bound to stick to it!'" -: ' ' "Well, I am " Anthony left It un finished. "What can I do?" . he 'asked meekly. " 4 ''Well find a plan, somehow," said Miss Mix approvingly. "But you must be got out first!". ; V X r : -' '. - "And weanwjvile," said. Anthony awk- sJ?J zlk&3&f(r jggsKmi.h. .... ffcfr. A wardly, "I don't really know how to thank you " ... -.' "Oh, nonsense!" she said lightly. "You forget how fond I am of him! Now 111 go up to the house and " Her confi dent voice faltered, and Anthony was as tonished to see a look of dismay cross her face. "Oh, my goodness gracious heaven ly day!" she ejaculated softly. VWhat ever shall we do now? Now we never can get you out!" , "Then Til stay in," laughed Anthony philosophically. Miss Mix echoed his laugh nervousjy. She glanced across the yard. 4 . "It's that disgusting newspaper con test!" she said. "That what?" "Please don't shout, that way!" she removed herself to ycang Anthony's begged, sitting down on her box again. "I'll explain. You see, the editor of the best newspaper here, the Star, has offered a really fine position oir the staff to the college man who brings in the best news paper stdry between now and the 1st of May -that's less than ten days. Of course, all the boys have gone crazy over It: It's a Job that a man could easily hold down .with his regular class work, and It might lead o a permanent position. And then there's the experience. About ten boys are working furiously for it, and all their friends are working for them. Tony's helping Jerry Billings,' and Jerry has al ready taken In a couple of good stories, and has a good chance. This, of course, would land it!" "What would?" "WhyT this!" She was laughing again. "Can't you see? Think of the headlines! Even 'your New York papers would give It half a column. Think of the chance to get funny! 'Old Fox in Trap.' 'Goes to Bed With the Chickeas! 'Iron King Plays Chantecler!' " "Thunder!" said Anthony. "There'd be no end of it. for you or me," said .Miss Mix. "I know this town." "Yes, you're rjght!" agreed Anthony. "The idea isYor me to sit here until after the 1st of May, eh?" he continued uncer tainly. Her eyes danced. "Oh, we may think of some- other way!" "Tony'Sfnot to be trusted, you think?" "No-o! I wouldn't dare. He's simply mad to have Jerry win. He'd let it out Involuntarily." . "The maid can go for a plumber V' "Statia? She's working for Joe Bates. And both the boys In the plumber's shop are In college, anyway." "Yqb might telephone for another plumber?" suggested Anthony, after . thought. , "Yes, I could do that." Miss Mix brightened. "No, I can't, either," she lamented- "JElsie White, the .long distance operator, is working fo'r Joe Bates, too." With a gesture for silence, she sprang to the door. Outside, some one shouted : "Miss SallyJ" ... . - J ; "Hello, Tony! she called hardily, in answer.- "Xiuncb, is it? iNo. don't come ' down! .I'm ust coming up!" ' . A long hour followed, the silence bro- -j ken only by ; occasional low comment from the chickens, and by voices and footsteps coming and going on the side of the chicken-house where the street lay. Anthony, his back against the rough wall, his hands in his pockets, had fallen into a smiling reverie when Miss Mix sudden ly returned. She carried a plate of lunch eon, and two files. "We are safe!" she reassured him. "The beys think I am playing bridge, and I've locked the gate on the inside. Now, ffles on parade!" She tucked the filmy skirts of her white frock about her, sat down on a box, and began to grate away his bonds without an instant's delay. Her warm, smooth hands he found very charming. to watch. Loose strands of hair fell'across her flushed, smooth cheek. Anthony at- side of the steps. tacked his lunch with sudden gayety. "How much we have to talk about!" he said, observing contentedly that five minutes' filing made almost no Impres sion upon his chains. She colored sud denly, but met his eyes with charming gravity. "Haven't we, though?" she as sented simply. "Why, no, it won't break his heart, Mr. Fox. I think he'll even be a little re lieved to be able to go on serenely with, the Peppers and the Rogerses. He's hav ing lovely times there!" . "Oh, if his mother had lived, of course I should have written to her; but I knew you were a very busy man, Mr. Fox. Tony hardly ever speaks of his Aunt Fanny. She's a great club woman, I know. So I had to do the best I could." "Why, I didn't think much about it, I suppose. But I certainly should have said that Tony's father was more than 43!" "Ye-es, J suppose it might. But but what a funny subject for us to get on! I suppose look at that white hen coming In, Mr. Fox! She's my prize winner, isn't she a beauty?" Just after dinner, as Miss Mix and her youthful, fiance were sitting on the porch in the spring twilight, a visitor entered the garden from the street. At sight of him the boy sprang to his feet with a cry of "Dad!" . iA Miss Mix was introduced, aifd, to young Tony's delight, she and his father chatted as comfortably as old friends. Presently, when Jerry Billings appeared with an invitation for the lady to accom pany him to the postofflce for possible mall, father and son were left alone to gether. Young Anthony beamed at his father's praise of his choice, but his comments seemed to come more easily on other mat ters. He told his father of the Rogers boys, of the Pepper girls, and of tennis and theatricals, and spoke hopefully of a possible camping trip with these friends. "When did you think of announcing . your engagement, Bud?" The boy shifted in his chair and laughed uneasily. - "Sally doesn't want to." he temporized, adding shyly." after a minute's silence, "and I didn't think you'd be In any hurry, , dadT' ; ' ' "But look. here, 'son, you wrote that 3" planned being married in June!"; '; "I did think so. but now I don't see now we can. Sally sees that. too. I can t get married until I have a good Job, and Tve got another year here. We don't want to tell every one and then have to wait two or three veara H ar-t" "H-m!" said his father. "And yet you don't want to ask me to support you and your wife for indefinite years, Bud?" uud squeezed his father's hand. promised promptly. On the evening of a certain glorious aay, to young Anthony, sitting in silence on the porch steps, came Sally, who seat ed herself beside him. "Tony." said she firmly, "what have we aeciaea about our engagement?". "Young Anthony eyed her expectantly. "We must either announce it or not announce It, Tony!" "Why, you see, SaUy," said Anthony after a pause, "I wanted to, a while back, but " "I know you did," she said heartily, to his great relief. "But now," he pursued slowly, "it would look pretty funny to the Rogerses. and the Peppers, and all, you know. Just now, I mean. 4've been up there all the time, right in things, and I've never said a word " "Well, well!" said a voice behind them; and to the unspeakable confusion of both, Jerry Billings rose from a porch chair and came down to them. "I couldn't help hearing," explained that gentleman joyously. "I was iere first. I wish you joy, children. Miss Sally, here's my best wishes! I never dreamed you two and yet I knew some thing had brought father all the way from New York. But I never dreamed of this! This ought to land me the Star Job. all right!" "Look here, Jerry," began Sally and Anthony together: "look here " "You mean yeu don't want It an nounced?" said Mr. Billings blankly "We don't wish it announced yet." said Sally feebly, as Anthony was silent. "I call that pretty mean!" ejaculated Mr. Billings after a pause. "It's true." he went on aggrlevedly. "I landed it every old woman In town will be on to It In a few weeks it's a corking Job for me -very one's wondering what Mr. Fox is doing here and now you two hang back, just because you've not had time to tell your friends!" "Oh, take your scoop!" half groaned young Anthony Fox. Sally began to laugh, but it was curi ously shaken laughter. Mr. Billings wise ly seized this moment for a rapid depar ture. Mr. Fox, coming to the door a mo ment later, found the others silent on the steps. "Now we are In for It!" said Sally rue fully, as they made room for him between them. "What shall we do? Jerry's got it for the Star we couldn't lie about It! And oh, we can t nave It in print tomor row! Can you can't you stop it?" "Too late now!" said young? Anthony. "Tell me what happened." said his fa ther. The recent developments were rapidly reviewed, and then Sally, removing her self and her wide-spreading ruffles to young Anthony's stq of the steps, so that she might from time to time give his hand an affectionate and enlightening squeeze, confessed the deception of her engagement to him, and, with her blue eyes very close to his. asked him meekly to forgive her. Young Anthony's forgiveness was a compound of boyish hurt and undis guised relief. x "But there's Jerry!" said Sally sud denly, smitten with unpleasant recollec tion in the midst of this harmonious re adjustment. "He he heard, you know." "I have been thinking," said the other Anthony slowly, "that I see a way out of this. I hope I see one! I'd like I'd like to discuss It with Miss Sally. If you'll Just step down to the the chicken yard, Bud, for five minutes, say. Well call you. And it's just possible that we can can arrange matters." Half an hour later Jerry Billings, who was reveling in the overheated, smoky atmosphere of the newspaper's local room, approached the city editor's desk. "Say, about that engagement of young Fox, Mr. Watts," he began, grinning. "Well, what's the matter with It?" said the editor sharply. "Nothing's the matter with It," said Jerry, "only it's better than I thought! It's it's old Fox that Miss Mix Is going to marry! Old A. F. bimselC" " . The editor eyed him fixedly, with no change of expression. - "This is no Jolly, Billings?" It's Asso ciated Press stuff If it's true, you know." "Oh. it's true enough," said Jerry, try--Ing not to leap Into space. "He Just tele phoned me the whole thing himself !" . . "Well, we've got his picture look It np!" said Mr. Watts calmly; but before ' Jerry turned away; that Infatuated re - porter heard his superior take his tele- phone to call' the make-up man, "Hello, FMLnk!"' said Watts gently. "Teli Williams to run that' suffragette stuff on the third page. : I'va rot a big lory. I want a double cut and a column -. n the trontr . . - ,r