Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 24, 1931)
FORBIDDEN YEARS by WADSWORTH CAMP II The ’room Barbara entered was small and very warm after the automobile. A wood fire, freshly lighted, crackled In a corner fireplace. Before It stood a small round table pleasantly laid about a bowl of roses. Two chairs were ar ranged close together there, and against the opposite wall stood, except for a small serv ing table, the only other piece erf furniture, a wide sofa up holstered with an imitation of Gothic tapestry. "I’ll ring when we’re ready for supper." The waiter bowed, backed out, and closed the door. Bar bara leaned against the man tel and watched him go. Whether it was from the rain, the sudden brightness of the room, or a cause more remote, ■he couldn't tell, but her eyes were not clear. Through a mist she saw Gray's eager ap proach. Through a ringing in her ears she heard his ex ultant voice. "I’ve waited a long time for this!” She steadied herself and •hook her head. "Let me catch my breath. I want to get rid of these damp things." She took the scarf from her bead, and the wet cloak from her shoulders, and draped them over the back of one of the chairs. Her hair glistened from its recent wetting which had made more ardent the ■ly flame that always lurked In its dark waves. She realized that her eyes shone, that her cheeks were abnormally flushed. Being in this room filled her with dismay. She had an instinct to run across the hall where a number of people were gathered, talking loudly. Here everything was •trange, suppressed, seci*et. "No supper, Gray. I’m not hungry, and I must get back.” "Nonsense. After all this while you owe me a little time.” Why should she owe him anything? "Suppose Mrs. Twining •hould wake up?" "She won’t. Don’t be jumpy. I’ve only had snatches of you before. Now that we have a chance like this let’s make the most of it." She said weakly: “You wanted to talk to me, Gray.” Abruptly he crushed her in his arms and tried to find her lips. She fought helplessly against his strength; but when he conquered, her lips for the first time failed to respond to his. Studying her curiously, he led her to the sofa, and she •at down, her glance seeking about the room. He sank be side her and circled her with his arms again. “Barbara! What's the mat ter? You've never behaved like this before.” “Gray, I don’t know. I don’t quite understand. I do know I oughtn’t to be here. I only e&me because you said you had •omething important to tell me.” He nodded. “That is it, that now that I’ve found you we’re going to have thousands of times like this. Don’t you want them, too?” Her gleaming head shook •lowly back and forth. She laughed desolately. "Is that all you brought me Jaere to say?” He stared at her, frowning. “What else did you expect?” Her smile held abrupt com prehension. She patted his hand in an absurd attempt to temper his disappointment. Freak Weather In 193L from St. Louis Globe-Democrat. The year 1931 Is a freakish year tn many respects outside of eco nomics. Above all else It has been a rir of abnormal weather. In fact, is expected to hang up a record as the hottest year tn a century. Bence January 1, 1931, the country pas accumulated a great surplus of neat, as well as a surplus of wheat, and while Europe is now taking large amounts of grain, it can do nothing, and we can do nothing, about our high temperatures. In the first 10 months of this ysar, st. Louts alone had an excess ff 751 degrees, or an average of 35 hrm afagw* qwjml » dy, froy He was a child, a spoiled child, selfish and thoughtless. “Never mind. You’re right. I oughtn’t to have expected anything. You made that clear enough to me just before I went to Europe." “Oh, that! Women oughtn’t to be so touchy; oughtn’t to spring at conclusions." The dream was dead again once more. It was quite clear that to his archiac mind she was one of the lesser women, wandering far outside the frontiers within which the fortunates like Esther dwelt. It wasn’t altogether his fault, because he had been so thoroughly spoiled by every one within and without those shadowy boundaries. "I’ll never spring at con clusions again. Gray." He clasped her tighter. “Let’s talk straight. I tell you you started something, there in Elmford, and you’ve got to see it through.” “Not this way. And don’t forget, Gray, that you started something too." His frown tightened. “That means you do care for me, Barbara?" “Gray, I care so much, and always have, that it frightens me. That’s why I want you to take me home, that’s why you’re not to try to see me again.” "Barbara! I won’t take you home yet, and of course I'll see you again, as often as may be." She tried to slip from his grasp, but he wouldn’t let her go. “This ends It. Try not to be selfish for Just once, Gray. Try just once to understand." He held her at arm’s length, his eyes widening. “You never mean you dreamed—” Poor child! It wasn’t his fault that the logical thought had come so tardily. She hated to see his happy game end In shabby defeat. “Yes, Gray. I dared dream. I was a fool." In his amazement he re leased her, and she got up and crossed the room to the fire place. He sat with his head in his hands, staring after her, muttering: "uood tioa! rarnaaoes, plagues, and cataclysms! Dreams? Nightmares!” She nodded. "Yes. I thought of all that. You’re right. So please take me home. I’ll miss you, Gray; but you’ll forget about me when you don't see me.” Suddenly he sprang up, ran across to her, and caught her tightly to him. His face was crimson , determined. She reached behind her, and pressed an electric button at the side of the mantel which she had noticed from the sofa. “I’m not going to take you home. You care for me. You admit it. You know what I think of you. I tell you every time I see you you make me lose my head. There’s a way out of this, and you’re not going home until we’ve hit on it.” A discreet rap drummed from the door. Barbara caught her breath as Gray released her. “Who the devil’s that?” “Come in," Barbara called. The waiter entered, looking at them expectantly. “Will you have supper served now?” Before Gray could answer Barbara walked towards the man. “Wait in the hall for a mo ment. Leave the door open. We’ll let you know.” When the waiter had gone | this one can get an Idea of the ov ' erproductlon of heat in the coun try as a whole, but only a very in distinct idea. The excess in Kansas City was 1,121 degrees; In Moor head, Minn., 1,924 degrees, and In Huron. S. D., 2,092 degrees, or 69 degrees above normal a day. The month of May was colder than nor mal. Every other month has been decidedly above normal, except In patohee. But stranger still is the bend noted In a study of weather bureau records printed In the Wash ington Star. “The geographical or der has been turned upside down," we are told. “Both North and south have been hotter than normal, but Ul9 t '**4*051, Barbara turnec ia. Oiay, wild y seeking the way out Hi; frown steadied ner. There was inly one way out. ‘I’ve no idea where I am, DUt I must get home. Will you arrange for these people to take me? I can do it, but I think it would be better if you—” Yes, his game was smashed; the pieces were scattered all over the board; and his child ish temper was plain in his face and attitude. “That would look pretty, wouldn’t it?” “Not very, but I can’t think of anything else. If you won’t ask them I shall. She started for the door, but he sprang in front of her. “See here! I brought you, and I’ll take you back.” She looked straight into his furious eyes. “I’d rather not go with you.” His anger didn’t subside, but quickly he spread Inis hands. “You’ll be all right with me. Word of honor I won’t say another word.” “Thanks, Gray. Then shall we start?” Clumsily he helped her with the cloak. Her hands shook as she fastened the half-dried scarf over her head. She waited in the car while he settled with the waiter. Then he came striding across the porch, flung himself into the seat at her side and started the car noisily and too quick ly; the spoiled child, wholly furious at defeat. He broke his promise only once, mutter ing nearly inaudibly: “You say you love me, and yet you don’t want to see me again. You don’t trust me.” She didn’t answer. She only spoke several times anxiously. “Need we go so fast? Is it safe in this wet?” But his temper drove him recklessly on, and she clung desperately to the frame of the swaying car. At last she saw in the path of the head lights the stone gateposts flanking Mrs. Twining’s drive; but Gray didn’t slow up. “Careful, Gray! Here we are!” He grunted an exclamation. Apparently his mind had been far from the hazardous busi ness of driving an automobile too rapidly on a streaming road; for he snapped off the headlights and applied the brakes too impulsively, and the rear of the car seemed tc slide out from beneath them; but he was skillful, and par tially compensated for the skid. He was nearly in control again, very close to the gate posts, when a blaze of light circled the bend just beyond and bore swiftly down on them, two glaring eyes in front of another reckless brain. our lights, Gray!” But he hadn’t time to turn them on, or to do anything except avoid a head-on smash. In pulling his car, which still slithered, too swiftly to the right, he lost control com pletely. In the radiance from the other car Barbara saw one of the stone gateposts close at hand, too close. Before she could try to save herself, be fore she could think, the huge post seemed to crush down upon her. She heard the splintering of glass, the grind ing and snapping of metal. She seemed lifted by a giant hand and flung far out of the car. Ner her on the ground lay Gray, curled up. Groaning. A man with a flashlight bent over them. “Is it bad?” Gray’s groaning voice over came a barrier of pain. “I had someone with me. How is she?” “I’m all right,” Barbara managed to quaver. “Thank God! The house is just along the drive. Wake i ’em up. Get help. Carry her ; in, then me.” She heard the man’s feet • splashing along the driveway I towards the house to alarm especially in the last two months, to be actually as well as relatively hotter than the South.” Mississippi gardens were nipped while flowers bloomed in eastern Iowa. The weather bureau, of course, makes no attempt to explain this heat surplus. It did not warn the country to make provision against it, and It does not try to show what brought It on or how long it will persist. All the bureau knows or pretends to know is that tempera ture records go back only about a century, and reliable ones only , about 50 years, and that on the bas is of these records 1931 appeals to i be the hottest year this country I ever exoertencea Not so hot Jpr ,*ii i i wining and tlie ser vants. Everyone would have to know now unless she could do something. -Stop him. Gray!” He must have been a good deal hurt. His voice was so thick. T’ve done you a filthy trick Can't be helped. You’ll have to go in.” She burst out hysterically: T won't.” She meant to run, anywhere away from Mrs. Twining and Esther, but when she tried tc get up she crumpled in a heap, and a blackness thicker than the night wrapped around her. CHAPTER V Temporarily Barbara em erged from the blind, empty pit of coma, and found herself in the hall which was full of gaping people; occupants of the other automobile and household servants. Gray, misshapen, lay curled in a great chair, his right arm circling his left shoulder, his face white and twisted. Mrs. Twining, wrapped in a dress ing gown, and holding a candle which didn’t shake at all, stood on the stair landing. Barbara turned away from the sharp eyes, but instead of asking questions the old lady sprang instantly to the com mand of the situation. “Some of you carry Miss Norcross to her room, and take Mr. Manvel to the northeast rooms. Hoskins, telephone Dr. Morris to tumble out of bed and come here as fast as he can; then get the nurse’s bureau in town, and have too competent women sent instan ter. Slocum, tell Cook to make coffee for these people.” After arranging all that, Barbara thought she would ask where Gray and she had been; at least how an accident that might easily have been fatal had happened. As Gray, helped by two men, passed Mrs. Twining on the landing she ran her fingers through his wet hair. “We won’t disturb your fond parents’ slumbers until Morris has looked you over.” He groaned. “Nothing much the matter with me. Have Morris look to Miss Norcross.” Mrs. Twining’s laugh crack led. “Nothing much the matter, I imagine, except a few broken bones.” She added dryly: “Ought to be thankful your head was spared, although I’m not sure that wouldn’t have served you right.” The sarcasm, added to the pain of being lifted from her chair, sent Barbara deep down again into the pit. She strug gled out of it finally to hear Morris’ depressing diagnosis muttered to Mrs. Twining. “She’d have been happier with a broken ankle. The muscles and liga/nents are badly torn. It’ll be some weeks before this young woman starts to hobble.” Barbara turned to the wall. She couldn’t look at Mrs. Twining’s calm, incurious face. She accepted bitterly the fact that she was going to be im prisoned against her will for some weeks in a house where she was no longer wanted; for after what had happened she had no doubt that Mrs. Twin ing would at least give Esther her way, and exile the pre sumptuous interloper who had dared make Gray’s glance waver. Even then, during the pain ful hours of that first night, she accepted her destiny as lying in the theater; she pos sessed no education for any thing else; but in this fresh escape she would have one Important advantage she had lacked when leaving Elmford. Mrs. Twining had, if anything, overpaid her, and she had spent practically nothing; her savings would give her a chance to walk cautiously into an utterly strange world. (TO BE CONTINUED) > business, but hot in every other way. Colder weather is predicted, but November did its part in making this a year of record heat, and only December remains. We have no ob jection to a heat surplus at this time or in midwinter. We welcome it. And a geographical upset is not surprising in a year with so many • other upsets. But we hope that the Southern states that voted the re 1 publican ticket three year* ago will not permanently change places with the Northern states in tne weather scheme, so that there will be snow and ice in Virginia when flowers bloomin* i® N^ryj Oikoti NEW PARADISE OF FISHERMEN Bass Fishing Flourishes in World’s Largest Arti ficial Lake Eldon, Mo. — (UP) — The Lake of the Ozarks. a $33,000,000 project down here in the mountains, is the largest artificial lake In the world. Its power plant supplies St. Louis with electricity. But these facts mean nothing to the sportsmen of Missouri and surrounding states. The Important tiling to them is that the Lake of the Ozarks has made it possible to catch bass, big bass and lots of bass, after It looked like bass fishing was about to go out in Missouri. Black bass were almost nonex istent in Missouri streams in 1930, and fishermen had given up hope that the supply could be built up again. Small hatcheries failed to solve the problem. Then Bagnell dam was finished and the Lake of the Ozarks began to form for some 129 miles behind it. And the fishermen flocked in. Before the lake was even full, more black bass had been taken from it than had been taken from It than had been taken the pre vious year from all Missouri waters together. The Union Electric company, builder of the dam. must erect a hatchery for game fish. With this addition, Missouri sportsmen have quit their worrying about the fish supply. The lake was created while the state was putting increased effort into development of its parks. The 12 state parks comprise 39,490 acres, but much of this was undeveloped, and much was inaccessible to mo torists. Co-operation between the fish and game commission and the state highway department, however, is making it possible for the motor ing nature lovers to reach the most out-of-the-way spots. With this program the folks of the Ozarks are hoping that their mountains will become increasingly popular with vacationists who haven’t the time to drive to the Rockies or other moun tain resorts. -44-. San Francisco Restores Palace of Fine Art* San Francisco —(UP)— Sixteen years ago throngs of tourists from all parts of the world walked through the buildings of the Pan ama Pacific exposition, and re marked at their beauty. Some of the structures—the Tower of Jew els. the Court of the Seasons, the Palace of Fine Arts—became world famous. Today, a small group of work men labored where hundreds once were, restoring the Palace of Fine Arts. The edifice never was de stroyed, and finally acquired by the city. Restoration of the great ro tunda, which still impresses the visitor with the height of its in terior, is in progress. Virtually all of the classic columns supporting the adjoining structure have been recast, and are once more intact. -- Western Railroads Show Increase During October San Francisco—(AP)—All three major railroads serving Pacific southwestern territory showed gains in October net earninvs over Sep tember. The western Pacific gain was largest, exceeding 38 per cent. Combined October net for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, the Southern Pacific company and the Western Pacific railroad was $7, 051,218. compared with $6,047,870. The combined net, however, was a little less than half last year's Oc tober net of $14,575,546. DIVERSIFIED PHILOSOPHY If Gandhi is a lawyer, then He’s just a raw recruit; For it is very evident He never won a suit. "Hades or Hoover,” the slogan is Of hard boiled G. O. P.; Twould seem to me they'd stick to one, And let the other be. That manager plan some citie* have, And some want us to try, The other day in Cleveland town. Picked up a fine black eye. Manchuria is doubtless worth A pretty nasty scrap; If so. the League might quite a» well Just give it to the Jap. Sure, two can live as cheap as on*. As all those parents know, Who have a daughter they must keep Until she hooks a beau. If It be true about that wind And lambs that have been clipped. This winter should be mild enough So not an ear gets nipped. —Sam Page. SIRENS PROHIBITED Pasadena, Cal. —(UP)— Gover nor James Rolph, Jr., recently signer a bill prohibiting use of si rens when motorcycle police of ficers were accompanying machines on streets. He arrived at a hotel from Sacramento amidst the screams of four sirens. Man 103 Years Old Gives Receipt for Longevity Allentown, PaV(UP)—A recipe for longeviey that include* freedom from worry, abstinence from diet ing and "eating and drinking what ever you please” is offered by Miehael Neiswender, who celebrated his 103rd birthday her*. Neiswender, a resident of Mt. Carmel, Pa., came hers to spend the birthday anniversary with rel* at.ivav njsnc.it Hc-.ppiness in Labor Well Performed Today the most welcome word that can come to millions is a promise of employment—to have a share in the world's work. The song on which many of the older generation were brought up urged one to work in the morning h > irs, to work ’mid spring ing flowers, to work even through the sun ay noon, and then on till the “last beam fadetli, fadeth to shine no more.” But it was a joyous song, and the only unhappy note in it was the one that suggested the oncoming of night, “when man works no more.” The most fervent prayer that most men make, especially those who have not much goods laid up against days of ease, come from ancient, times: “May I be taken in the midst of my work.” So for from work being a curse, Carlyle speaks of it as “the grand cure of all the maladies and miseries that ever beset mankind.” It is the boit physician. So in seeking to find employment for those out of work, the problem of misery is attacked at its root. Skill iu labor Is man’s highest vo cation, but it is through labor of some sort, whether by hand or brain, whether of one's choice or by com pulsion, whether as a vocation or an an avocation, that lie finds his way to his better and best self. Giving a rnnn a job is the best form of helpfulness, if lie is still able to work. It has been often said that there is no good obtainable without labor; but it Is better said that lhere is no good that is to be put above the ability and the opportunity to labor. —Kansas City Times. MercolizedWax Keeps Skin Young Get aa ounce snd u*e as directed. Fine particle* of aged akin peel off until all defects eucb ai pimple*, livar ■pots, tan and freckle* disappear. Hkin ia then *ofA and velvety. Your face looks years younger. MercoUaed Waa brine* >ut tbe bidden beauty of your skin. F* remove wrinkles use oue ounce Powdered cUaoIitft dissolved «n jat»-Uali pint witcb basal. At drug stores*; ~Golf Is Golf The Movie Magnate—I’m going to ; lay golf today. His Secretary—But you were to get married today, sir. The Movie Magnate—Oh, at! right, —have her get to the links by 2 o’clock sharp. Cruel Mr. Grump—A woman who really loves a man will bake a pie for him now and then. Mr. Grinn—Yes, and if she really loves him she will give the pie to the iceman and buy another at the bakery. KIM. COLD GERMS] -7—---t—m Clears head instantly. Stops cold spreading. Sprinkle your handkerchief during the day —your pillow at night/" a at * McKesson I au drug PRODUCT STORES That’* Clear “A man makes the best boas,” said 184 out of 200 shop girls wtm were questioned on tlie subject—proviug that only sixteen of thorn were mar ried.—Life. J Gilbert T. Hodges I PRESIDENT Advertising Federation of America a Recently Said: . . Reduced advertising appropriation* will mean we shall continue in reverse gear, while advertising to tell people about the things which will enable them to live fuller and hap- all pierlives will play ilspsst, as it always has, in keep ing business moving'' > ►»> | Talk It Over I j with Your Own | I Home Publisher 1 ■■■■■■■■■■■ m