Booth
Tarkington
Copyright, 1am
by the Bell Syndicate, Ine.
WALLIE TORBIN.
Synopsis—Proud possessor of a
printing press and equipment, the
gift of Uncle Joseph to his nephew,
Herbert lllingsworth Atwater, Jr.
aged thirteen, the fortunate youth,
with his chum, Henry Rooter,
about the same age, begins the pub-
lication of a full-fledged newspaper,
the North End Dally Oriole. Her-
bert's small cousin, Florence At-
water, being barred from any kind
of participation in the enterprise,
on account of her intense and nat
ural feminine desire to ‘boss,’ Is
frankly annoyed, and not at all
backward in saving so. However,
a poem she has written is accepted
for insertion in the Oriole, on a
strictly commercial basis—cash in
advance. The poem suffers some-
what from the inexperience of the
youthful publishers in the "art
preservative.” Her not altogether
unreasonable demand for repubii-
cation of the masterpiece, with its
bauty unmarred, is scorned, and
the break between Miss Atwater
and the publishers of the Oriole
widens. The Sunday following,
Florence's particular chum, Patty
Fairchild, pays her a visit. They
are joined, despite Florence's open-
ly expressed disapproval, by Her-
bert and Henry. Florence will not
play. Patty and the visitors In-
dulge in a series of innocent Sun-
day games. Among them is
calisd “Truth,” the feature of
which {8 a contract to write a ques-
tion and answer, both to be kept a
profound secret. The agreement is
duly carried out. Florence is told
as a family secret that her beautl-
ful aunt, Julia Atwater, has appar-
ently become engaged to a man
named Crum, altogether unknown
to the Atwaters. Florence finds
the notes in the “Truth” game, in
which both Herbert and Henry ad-
mit that they have pretty eyes
one
PART I1—Continued.
NR
As he grew older, his insatiate cu-
riosity enahled him to expose unnum-
bered weaknesses, indiscretions and
social misfortunes on the part of ac-
and
the
the
out
his noise
publicity ;
every exposure
gave a hideous
his victim sought privacy
persistently he was sought
Wallie, vociferous and attended
hilarious spectators. But
other things, what most
the demoniac boy to prodigies of sat-
fre was any tender episode or symp-
energy
more
above
herself had suffered excru
intervals throughout
Wallie dis
Florence
ciatingly at
eleventh
covered that Georgie Beck
valentine: and the
many squealings of
affectionate quatrain
unahie to decide which
more, Wallle or
the worst of Wallie:
up”; and in
was no more
“I'll tell Waille Torbin!" As
Henry Rooter antl Herbert lings
worth Atwater, Jr. they would as soon
have had a head-hunter on their trail
as Wallie Torbin with anything in his
hands that could incriminate them
in an implication of an ac-
knowledgement of their own beauty
The
woven
spring, because
humorist’'s many,
that valentine's
left her
the
was
finally
hated
That
never
circle
threat
ghe
Georgie,
he let
there
than,
for
Florence's
sohering
love—or
fabric of civilized life Is Inter
with blackmail; even some of
the noblest people do favors for other
people who are depended upon not to
tell somebody something that the no
blest people have done.
born into us all, 2nd our nurses teach
us more blackmail by threatening to
tell cur parents, If we won't do this
and that—and our parents threaten
to tell the doctor—and so we learn!
Blackmail is part of the daily life of
a child; displeased, his first resort to
get his way with other children is a
threat to “tell”; but by-and-by
experience discovers the mutual bene
fit of honor among blackmallers
Therefore, at eight it is no longer the
ticker to threaten to tell the teacher;
and, a little later, threatening to tell
any adult at all is considered some-
hing of a breakdown In morals. No
toriovsly, the code is more liable to
infraction by people of the physically
weaker sex, for the very reason, of
course, that thelr inferiority of mus
cle so frequently compels such a sin,
if they are to have their way. But
for Florence there was now no such
temniation, Looking toward the de.
molition of Atwater & Rooter, an ex-
posure before adults of the results
of “Truth” would have been an effect
of the sickliest pallor compared to
what might be accomplished by a
careful use of the catastrophic Wallle
Torbin.
All in all, It was a great Sunday
for Florence, On Sunday evening It
wns her privileged custom to go to
the house of her fat, old great-uncle,
Joseph Atwater, and remain until nine
o'clock, In chatty companionship with
Uncle Joseph and Aunt Carrie, his
wife, and a few other relatives who
were in the habit of dropping In there
on Suvnday evenings. In summer,
lemonade and cake were frequently
provided; In the autumn, one still
found cake, and perhaps a pitcher of
clear new cider; apples were always
a certainty,
This evening was glorious; there
were apples and clder and cake and
walnuts, perfectly cracked, and a
large open-hearted box of candy,
Naturally, these being the circum.
Herbert was among the
und, though rathér at a dis-
advantage, so far as the conversation
was concerned, not troubled by the
handicap. The reason he was ‘at a
conversational disadvantage was
closely connected with the unusual
supply of refreshments; Uncle Joseph
and Aunt Carrie had foreseen the
coming of several more Atwaters than
usual, to talk over the new affairs of
their beautiful relative, Julia, Sel-
dom have any relative's new affalrs
been more thoroughly talked over than
Julia's that evening, though all
the time by means of various symbols,
since it was thought wiser that Her-
bert and Florence should not yet be
told of Julia's engagement, and Flor-
parents were not present to
confess their indiscretion, Julia was
referred to as “the traveler,” and other
were employed with the
caution: and all the
while Florence merely ate inscrutably.
The sincere Herbert was as
placid; such foods enough for
stances,
guests |
were
ence's
makeshifts
most knowing
more
were
“Well, all IT say is, the traveler bet
Aunt Fanny finally, the
apperred to be wearing
hauvstion. “She certainly is in for it
when the voyaging is over and she
arrives in the port she salled from,
and has to show her papers. I agree
the rest of you; she'll have a
deal to answer for, and most
of ol! about the shortest one. My
own opinion is that the shortest one Is
burst like a balloon.”
shortest one,” as the demure
had understood from the
was her Ideal-—none other than
Dill.
as subject
great
“The
Florence
first,
Naohle
against a pilaster of the mantelplece
“Uncle Joseph,” she sald—*"I was just
thinking. What Is a person's reason?”
The fat gentleman, fire
rosy with
responding. “Well, there
It Staggered Him.
You Mean?”
perzons I never could
for 'em at all. ‘A
What do you mean,
son.’ Florence?"
person's reason
‘a person's rea
“l mean like when somebody says,
“They'll their reason.” she ex
“Has everybody
lose
got
how
they do then?”
“Oh I" he said.
worry. 1 suppose since you heard it,
I see
for and
there was one hanging out of anybody
somewhere, No; It's something
can't ordinarily, Florence
Losing your reason
way of saying ‘going crazy
“Oh,” she murmured, and appeared
to be somewhat disturbed.
At! this, Herbert thought proper to
your reason
alse,
you Kop
§
the company.
“You know, Florence,” he sald, “it
ways do.” He applauded himself with
a burst of changing laughter which
ranged from a bullfrog croak to a
collapsing soprano; then he added:
“Especially when you come around
my end Henry's newspaper building!
You certainly ‘lose your reason’ every
time you come around that ole place!”
“Well, course I haf to act ike the
people that's already there” Florence
retorted, not sharply, but in a Musing
tone that should have warned him.
It wns not her wont to use a quiet
volee for repartee. Thinking her hum.
ble, he laughed the more raucously.
“Oh, Florence!” he besought her.
“Sar not so! Say not so!"
“(hildren, children!” Uncle Joseph
remonstrated,
Herbert changed his tone; he be
came seriously plaintive, “Well, she
does act that way, Uncle Joseph!
When she comes around there you'd
on
—
—
we were
asylum the way
think runnin’ a lunatie
she takes on. She
hollers and bellers and squalls and
squawks., The least little teeny thing
she don't like about the way run
our paper, she comes flappin’ over
there and goes to screechin’ around,
you could hear her out at poorhouse
farm!”
“Now, now, Herbert,” his Aunt Fan-
ny interpesed. “Poor little
isn’t saving anything impolite to you
not right now, at any rate, Why don't
you be u little to her just for
once?”
Her unfortunate expression revolted
all the cousinly manliness in Herbert's
“Be a little sweet to her? ?
with poignant incredulity,
then in candor made plain how
Aunt Fanny [nspired him. *I
just exackly as soon be a little sweet
to an alligator,” he asserted; such
was his on this subject,
“Oh, oh!” Carrie,
“I would!” Herbert insisted.
a mosquito, I'd rather, to
‘em, because, anyway, they
80 much
to hear
more and
to just
we
sweet
bhossom,
he
and
poorly
echoed,
bitterness
said Aunt
“Or
either of
fon't make
Why, you Just ought
he went growing
severe, ‘You ought
newspaper
noise,
her,”
more
around
on,
come
our
ter school, when Henry and 1 are
tryin’ to do our work in, anyway, some
peace, Why, she just
squalls and squ—"
“I+ must be terrible” Uncle Joseph
“What do you do all that
afternoon?’
squawks and
Florence,
“Just for
dreamily ;: and her placidity the
exasperated
“She does It because she thinks she
runnin’
paper, my and Henry's; ths
she does it! She thinks
how to run
anybody alive; but
thing she's goin’ to find out;
anything
Henry's
another
no
offered to pay us! Uncle
think her
and
every
exercise” answered
more
cousin
she
her journalist
Own news
why
ought to be
our
it's
knows
newspapers
one
she
ahout
I there's
thar
an
and that
more to
ne
per.
have
and
have
of her ole poems in It,
iz she don't
do with news
ms
wouldn't
one
metter how
ine!
single
much
vit 12h ta tell
4 2:
Joseph,
shi x
Henry's
my
exclaimed,
“We wouldn't” Herhert “A
gmount more
Carrie
insisted,
vould know any
un a newspaper than she does;
a horse wouldn't make so
around
printing
Soon as
said
there
our press: we
right then that we made up our minds
Florence Atdater wasn't ever goin’ to
thing to
fet
anything
But she might
jearn to stay away from
our newspaper hullding, because after
we got her out yesterday we fixed a
she'll got
do with
her have any-
she wants
have a single
If you
do
to run the whole thing
with
just as well
*
SOS
never
looked at him demurely.
sure, Herbert?" she In-
Florence
“Just you try it!" he advised, with
he langhed
around
and
come
heartiest sarcasm;
tauntingly. “Just
morrow and try it;
to-
with dignity. “I may have a slight
“Oh. Florence, say not so! Say not
so. Florence! Say not so!”
At this she looked full upon him,
“I might say not so,” she said—"if 1
know you have, Herbert.”
It staggered him. “What—what—
you mean?’
“And her reply left him
paralytic with horror. ‘Wallis
Torbinl' ”
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Told of John Burroughs.
John Burroughs, the naturalist, was
not interested in nature's larger as-
pects, Geysers and volcanoes bored
him. His one exception was the Grand
Canyon of the Colorado, which he
called “the Divine Abyss.” Despite
his intentness on study when a boy,
Burroughs was fond of girls and kept
a systematic record of his engage-
ments with them, writers on his fife
say.
————————
Fortuitous Circumstances.
“id you have a good time at
Smith's last evening?” “Can't say
that 1 did, Mrs, Smith is an old sweet.
heurt of mine and I awe Mr. Smith
£10”
Furs lasting for years without re.
well under certain circumsdéances, but
when one views the changes In fashion
in this department of women's attire,
the possibilities of variety begome per-
fectly astounding, This year, writes a
fashion authority In the New
Times, the gorgeousness of furs
fur trimmings and fur linings appear
to know no limitation, and it would
seem as though the American woman
had decided to be as luxurious and
sibly manage to be.
Of course, all this has to be judged
by what the showing and
shops are
1st falling
ff of fur buying or a tendency to wear
furs
course of his
to the
the
hecome
A furrier who in
had used
words as
value of the products which
selling, said: “Now
he was
here is n cheap
that we
are selling in quantities and which
tail price of that?” said I, hopefully. It
the sort of thing that
life. He
his head and pondered for
“That,” he
for only about 23.000."
if you
though there are
the s¢
and
figures in a
looked so much
would complete my dream of
a brief sald
“would
S80, there Is the standard,
thinking about furs,
ther prices lower on
which soar
sound like the
Fifty thousand
evening
moment,
retail
are
los 08 well
those soar until
war
dollars paid for
fur has
and not ns A single
for it has been re
wrap of heen
own to happen
occurrence either,
ented often
Caracul Is Popular.
standard in fashionable furs
For a
there more claim to
prestiz In almost all of
which fur is ever
ised makes its appear-
1S ariely
} on
Tia fare
ped ingness ar
has everything In its favor. Then there
is another quality about caracul to he
these who still ac
fo caracu
standard black
the
the old
but in all
fashion
BON
that
lentepusly
Aare 80
distributed
gowns and wraj
HN
APPOArANC
grace ti
f the
ol :
Other Smart Attire.
# § ’ £ 3
Ie it Oo h
The Suit of American Broadtail That
Appeals to Many.
it Inid on in many layers it assumes
all of the softening quality of the furs
with much longer hairs? Yes, there
is that characteristic to squirrel-—-that
it becomes the majority of women,
even adding that portion of charm that
one expects to find after all the money
which is necessary has been spent up-
on fur coats or embellishments of any
sort.
Black duvetyn coats and wraps with
gray fur trimmings are quite the rage
of the moment. The richness and the
depth of the black material against
the thick grayness of the fur makes the
contrast which becomes the lure of a
this general character In
couts the combination is seen over and
the better things.
wrap of
again among
they are more popular than they ever
There
going out
before.
no such idea us of fashion
included In thelr scheme of existence,
But the shorter furs are used to trim
all manner of materials, There is a
particularly interesting coat of purple
homespun trimmed with lavish collars
cuffs of which is
moleskin, one
Winsome Dress of Moleskin, With
Monkey Fur Edges.
tf attractive
thin t
rich b
spun that is trimmed with
. i YY ‘
cont of rown
interestingly shaped into
veloping collar and cuffs,
it in Tones of Gray.
orts of little baby lambs have
ip to take their places in the
these are all
the halr
aimost
that
demonstrated
of soci
is of
i
wadtall in all of
In other words, if you
imming or a coat of
ike fur, then be
manner of woolly
into the
® a
as heen pressed
fashion
antest sults that are lamb
those with a distinctly
or You the
ng from the Krimmer inspira.
is the fur of Rus
thelr original
lest parts of
high Russian
de entirely of fur and to
hloused
see, whole
the
d things in
+3 4
460 oto}
ne Sprgnt
nmes are the
trimmings of the
mts At a
seen a
smart restagrant
fitted to the
sleeves and high col-
this gray lamb,
that reached the
where the band
was repeated all the way round
the end of the
high and un-
irban worn with it, and the
thing
gloried in because of its
omplete originality. Of course, haby
lamb holds good nas the smartest
and by all adds the most expensive of
111 the lambs. For one of the
alluring parts of these newer lamb
skins is the fact that they do not run
terrifying figures . when their
prices hang in the balance,
cont
$iahs
ight
wide cuffs of
-
Aring
skirt
the dress,
sslar width of
Was hn
whole WAS Some
still
into
Monkey Fur Prominent,
nent
lessly that constitutes itself a
important asset
the wellddressed woman,
really
many of the season's models. A
tight, choker collar of monkey fur that
becoming manner. Its wearer hap
pened to have the softest and curliest
of white hair, and she had had the
good sense to top that with a rose red
velvet hat that drooped a trifle at the
gides and framed her face, with the
monkey fur balance, quite artistically.
There is a fur that they call “real
monkey fur” which is far heavier and
thivker than that which is ordinarily
recognized as monkey. It is, as might
be imagined from the name, among
the more highbrow prices; but for that
reason, as things go, it is the more de-
sirable, There Is no record that it Is
any more becoming, but if i 1s more
expensive, that is enough for the stand.
ards of some of the buyers.
llome Town
Helps ¥
ADDS TO VALUE OF PROPERTY
Effective Argument as to the Necessity
for Carefully Thought Out
City Planning.
City zoning and city planning tend
to stabilize real estate values and make
it easier for the real estate dealers to
offer permanent Investments to pros
pectlve purchasers. This forms part
of the that J. C. Nichols of
Kansas has offered fellow
He says:
“In talking last
comptroller of a
pany
advice
Clty his
gammer with
life insu
loans a ls
the
com»
nount of
estate than any other
rance
which
real 3
in the world, I asked
£10G,000000 was too
large an amount to place on the destrue-
values
to year by
on
property
year
“‘Why, he sald, ‘Nic 100.000
would not 1 to cover it.” 1
‘What de hink—8500,000,
“Well! he sald
ing of our 1
“NOY
present
‘oht ©
that
with
“There
pian?
shifting
which
vesiors
has not
planning
In this
upon the
business
together.”
BLACK WALNUT TREE BEST
Department of Agriculture Points Out
ts Excellent Qualities as a
Roadside Ornament,
unched
wrigtions,
Ameri
Forestry
good roads
nent of Agri-
black
ays. The
the black
» con
the
The
by automobli
state hig
oan si On, ihe ANerican
& the
ARSMIH
Organ:
BErowers
vironmen
ns ]
tion,
tritious food.
Unpaid Commission Does Best Work
Department of Agriculture bul
in } on
3 Rekidp
nisists that ing =i
provid
ity streets | f much & municipal
lights or side
be cared
Probably the
for
it says, Is through
unpaid commission of three or five
members, which, in turn, employs
an executive officer. Methods of organi-
zation are described, and numerous
fllustrations show how trees should be
planted. There are chapters aiso de-
geribing pruning, spraying, transplant.
ing and other subjects of importance
to every town or city, whether Ht has
to have them. The
bulletin may had free upon ap
plication to the division of publications,
function as providing
walks, and should, therefore,
for by public offic
most eflicient
nis.
way of arranging
un) i arranging
proper supervision,
an
wishes
be
Washington, D. C.
“Roads of Remembrance”
The “Roads of Remembrance” idea,
originated by the "American Forestry
President McKinley, are now being
try, according to reports received by
the association.
National patriotic organizations
have adopted the idea of marking
points of unusual! Interest, and clvie
improvement groups are using it to
beautify local roads and highways.
A County “Home Bureau™
The Livingston county (Illinois)
“home burean” has resumed its regular
activities, The principal study Is
foods, but citizenship and child wel.
fare have been added, and two thor
oughly trained leaders have been see
cured to direct these subjects Chica.
go Dally News,
White Blocks for Traffic Lines
White concrete blocks Instead of
painted lines are used in Portland,
Ore, to mark crosswalks and other
traffic lines placed on the streots,