Newspapers / Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.) / Feb. 6, 1936, edition 1 / Page 6
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PAGE SIX : Second Instalment Gloria regained control of herself with an effort and her l'iower-like face broke into a smile "I'll be patient. Only don't let anything happen." As he 'eft the house. Donald ton' himself with a par.g that hr? had a sick girl on his hands. Gloria was sicker than she bad permitted him ; to realise and had taker this brief ? flicker of animation at the prospect of going home to show him just how | weak she really was. She was fragile ; ? bloodless?the life and the laughter j had gone out of h r. As a matter of fan. he had watched it go day by j day for months and he Lad tried vain- : ly to check it. but newer before had ?1 he appreciate! to what extent she : ; had failed. If any tiling should happen 1 to her?Don closed his eyes and re- i fused to face such a ^bought. Only j: ten days mor-\ then they would go north to those green fields and cool i waters of whicn she was forever wistfully speaking. Ten days wasn't long, i This certainly was not a woman's country. Least of all was it a country for a love:y, high-bred creature like Gloria. But. Don reflected, it had been this or nothing. Gloria had \ been willing, nay eager, to marry: him,' even against her family's advice, and even though it had meant exile. Nor had she once complained, j at least not until today when it was all over and she could voice her hatred of this life without hurting him. That was like her. to fade away, if need be to die by inches at his side, without complaint. One thing was sure?without Glor-1 ia's love to strengthen him he would j nover have had the courage and the . pertinacity to win his fight against; . the desert. The mere i"3ct that his j own money and that of his friends j . was sunk in the El Centro field would ' not have been sufficient to keep him here. Not by any means. But with a , wife like Gloria, a man couldn't quit: he couldn't tolerate faiiure of any! sort. If he and Gloria had been able to j get away once in a while it would!, not have been so bad, but money from the wells which he had some-j jiiiw niansgeci 10 ciriii liad gone lnxo | new equipment, into storage tanks, j tank ears, drilling rigs, leases, and1 the like; for in order to live at all in I this business it had been necessary to expand; and as a result produc-1 lion had not quite kept pace with cx- j penditures, It had been the old. heart' breaking story of most so-called sue- | eossful oil enterprises-just enough' encouragement to render it impossi b!e Lo let go. But the company had real holdings now, and with the j Homeslnke making five thousand: barrels a day, yes. or even one-half ! that, it would be out of the red in no j tim. and its stock would be- worth! a lot. It would be worth so much that > Gloria eciflri well afford lo give her j family the laugh. Something, iike a j million .lobars, that's tvijat, it would; ntcai. to them. And Homeslake could- 1 n't -5las. E! Centra .wasn't that kind of i'. pool. Once inside the limits, a man was as safe as if his money were in tile Bard: of England. rr?-_ i - - --- - *' i r.: ;ays more, men .'Jew York j with its shops and its lights and its j theaters. He'd show Gloria that he j wasn't merely a machine eternally thinking, talking, dreaming, living oil. He'd prove that he was Lite wiid- ' est, the mo3t extravagant, the most devoted lover the world had ever seen. The things lie would buy for 1 her?the love, the tenderness he'd ' shower upon her! He'd repay her for 1 the faith and for tile courage she 1 had shown. Ten days more! Gloria ate but little supper that 1 night. She attributed her lack of ap- 1 petite to excitement, to the antici]>ation of leaving, but as a matter of |' truth, Frar.cesca, the or.e servant 1c they could afford had been more'5 than usually shiftless that afternoon i and the young wife herself had been t forced to prepare the meal. Any ex- J crtion of late left her upon the rag- ' gad edge of utter collapse Donald's -sympathetic remonstrance r was interrupted by old Pedro, the > water man. Pedro hailed his groaning a truck outside the house and called u something in Spanish that took Fisk t away from the table and out into the 0 Toad. Gloria had mastered only a few P words of the language?this climate n robbed women of energy both pkysi- v cai and mental?hence she coul-d not *' understand what was being said. When Don returned, he forestalled c her anxious query by announcing: c "McKay's in some sort of trouble and I've got to run out there again. c Don't worry?it's nothing much." ^ "What kind of trouble?" Gloria's j a tired face was suddenly drawn with ; a apprehension. a "Some kind of a fishing job?Pedro didn't know just what." Fisk e came around the table and kissed nis w wife. "Don't fret, and don't wait up d for me. You know how long eevry- r. thing tekes around a well. I may not b get it fixed before morning." He U :i:smiled reassuringly and playfully tl pinched her ear. 'Can't afford to risk a any delay for the sake of a little tl sleep, eh?" a With sinking heart Gloria watched him go, for there had been some- tl thing in hi3 voice that belied his S 4_ ft > L ' J cRex{&ea cheerful words. This hateful oil busi- j ress: its hazards were never ending; i there was a malignant genius in the | welis that took delight. in wrecking human plans and killing high hopes. However well founded. Hon returned for breakfast, hot: anil tired and du ty; he began guff- \ !y: "1 was afraid of McKay! He drop- ' ped a too! in the hole." "What does that mean?" "He didn't set up his joint proper-' !y, I presume. Anyhow, it means; we've got to fish it out." Is that a?a long job?" "Not necessarily; depends or. how' the stem is cocked and things like that. We're going to lake a picture 1 of it?you know, lower a soap mold and take an impression. While they're aoing that I'm going: to get a few j hours' sleep -I haven't been off my feet all night. Lord, it's hot!" Fisk lay on his bed all that morning, and he -perspired in his sleep.! Meanwhile his wife went on with her packing and her unpacking. There ! was Indeed very little to get ready j and it was a foolish waste of effort, j but she had to do something with j her hands and this occupation gave- : her the same pleasure she had derived ! from folding and unfolding her doll's clothes for imaginary journeys. She j had loved to play that game when she was a tiny girl arid she was bocoming very childish of late. Don left again during the most cruel heat of the afternoon: he re- \ turned about midnight and Gloria ! gathered from what he told her that j these fishing jobs were tedious at i best and that the crew was getting 3 long as well as could be expected , For two days his night'y report was the same. Had the accident occurred earlier, he would have proceeded upon failure to grapple the troublesome bit stem, to sidetrack the obslruction, so lie explained. In other words he would have drilled I past it, by allowing the second bit j lo be deflected by the first. The lost tool was in reality a forty-foot steel shaft standing in the uullom of the , hole, and it weighed many hundreds \ of pounds. Inasmuch as it was tipped ; so that its upper end rested against the side of the well, it was not easy j to get hold of it. This new drilling ; would have resulted in a crooked hole fifty or sixty feet deep and would I have left the obstructing tool standing upon a shelf of rock. By exploding a small shot a few feet fcsScw this shelf the lost bit could have been dropped into the pocket sidetracked -after which the old shaft could have been carried on. But Fisk declared he was afraid to attempt this maneuver sc close to the structure. Other oil men had Warned him against doing so. Twice sorietmng of the son had been tried in the K1 Centre field and in each in iar.co a ruined well had resulted. The slirt , hsn seared tiie rock-? due pe-hatu to some peculiar characteristic of th formation Again he told his wife not to worry; new fishing; tools were on the way up from the coast; McKay might nave the obstruction out before they arrived?-In fact, he might get hold of that bit stem at ny moment. That was the way with fishing jobs. Don maintained this hopeful attitude; in his wife's presence he continued to be cheery, but cut at the Homestake, where he spent twentyout of every twenty-four hours, he ivas anything but optimistic. Ncr was he a pleasant person to get along with. Under ordinary circumstances j le would have refused to be unduly j otrturbed by the oil game and grap- I oling biindly for a bit stem; in the i rottcm of a steel-lined shaft a quar- j or of a mile deep is slow work at ! nest. Sometimes it takes weeks. But circumstances were not ordinary. Gloria's heart was set on atching that boat, the days were dipping past, and Don could no longer blind himself to the truth that she vas seriously ill and ought to go. Vr.d yet there was nobody here he ould send with her, nor could he ; eave until the well was in. The di- ! eetors wouldn't stand for that, even : f he could bring himself to do such j . thing. It so happened?as it us- j ally does happen?that no time in j he entire history of the company's : perations could have been more un- I ropitious than the present for a ' rishap such as this. The treasury j .... iuw, mere were Dank loans soon , o be met! nothing less than big new production" could avert a serious risis. If he lost the Homestake, the ompany was wrecked. Fisk drove his men without mery, but it was maddening futile work, his blind grappling, this interminble experimenting with one device fter another. He became irritable nd jumpy; his hands shook when he fiped the stinging sweat out of his yes; he cursed the desert aloud rhen its heat rendered the work oubly hard. Working on that derick floor was like working upon a ed of coals. Every piece of metal hat flesh fen upon was hot enough > blister; the stale water that he nd his men swilled down uienr hroats was tepid, and even in their leep they were .thirsty. Fish told his wife grimly one day tat they could not mal.e the boat, he took the announcement much as ATAUGA DEMOCRAT?EVERY hJ J ^4 >- mi V/r / ?^^cx BEACM she would have taken a blow in the face. It left her pallid and stricken with something: infinitely worse than pain. She crept away, and a few minutes late he found her weeping. She made no sound, there was no expression of grief upon her face, but tears of utter exhaustion were coursing down her cheeks. "Honey! Honey girl!" her husband cried in agony. "tiori'i take it line that!" She tride to smiled Tm so tired, Don! I've been planning so. Oh, Don, I haven't strength left to stand another disappointment! ' "We'll catch the next boat, sure." "I've been thinking so much about the green grass and the cool waters! r*..r T.,.* ! i hi. au iii/c??0\? lucu. Fisk nodded; his face was working". "I know. But I can't leave. I can't? without til rowing" away everything we've fought for. The company will go to smash?you understand! I'd chuck it all if it were mine, but the crowd relies on me. They'd never forgive me. I'd be a quitter!" "1 suppose so." Gloria tried unsuccessfully to check the tears. ''My people, too! We wouldn't have our tri-! umph, would we ? You mustn't mind ' me. I'm such a baby! I'll be all right j as soon as I get home." I Day after day the work at the j well went on. Many times Fisk was! tempted to blast, but the men talked , him out of the idea Concluded Next Week OBITUARY Thus in remembrance of our be-1 loved brother, A. W. Harmon, was born Nov. 19, isuo and departed this life Oct. 22. 1935. Was married to Nancy Brewer and to this union was born six children, i two of which departed this life before j their father. Survived by the widow and four children, Stanford, Monroe, Virgil, knd daughter, Minnie. Bro. Harmon professed faith in Christ ar.d joined Brushy Fork Baptist. Church ami later iiiovcu his ^embers/lip to Mt. Lebanon Church. Bro. Harmon wvcu ins criurcn ana always filled bis scat as much as possible. A vacant seat which we car. see at church and a vacant chair at home. We remember at church on one occasion the instructions and the food he strowed 1 for the hungry souls. His death is our loss but heaven's gain. Bro. HarI -*?w>o that his Criiiurril cO" turn front their ways a lid live a life whore wo can he united in a home where partings will lie no more. At ! death, we believe, that he said fare! well, children; wee>p not for me. So blessed are the dead which die | in the Lord from henceforth, yea, Hailh the Spirit; that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them. Bro. Harmon is at rest as we will all do. trust his body goes back to 1 mother dust. Dust thou art and from dust we eamc. He rests in heaver, where angels do sing. J. N. MIN"TON, xv&?v. J. K. SHORES, RONDA EARP, Committee. I ''Farmers are expectantly waiting {for some plan to be devised that will j enable them to control production' I this year," says T. J. W. Broom, of I J "Union county. ! CftKYoUiMMMEj CAN YOU IMAGINE the quick thinking of a man in Indiana who, when 4 people became desperately ill from eating tainted meat at a conference, ran for BISMA-REX ana completely relieved all four in a few minutes! * * EXPLANATION . . . Bisnia-Rex Is an antacid treatment that's different from the many other ineffective treatments you have tried. It acts four ways to give you a new kind of relief from acid indigestion, heartburn and other acid stomach agonies. Bisma-Rex neutralizes acid, relieves stomach of gas, soothes the irritated stomach membraner and I aids digestion of foods htat are ' most likely to ferment. Bisma-Rex is sold only at'Rexall Drug Stores. Get a Jar today at Boone Drugstore. Remember, BISMA-REX. THURSDAY?BOOME. N. C. T j, Boone High Life CouMbut^d By Bdoue Hi School Journalism Club W hat tlio (>rads Are Doing John H. Farthing: was accepted for I service in the U. S. Marine Corps on) January 22. Fred Michael is in Hawaii training in the military squad. Hoy Cragg \s in Hawaii in the U. j S. -v:ny. Misses Jean and June Bush are in 1 v-?houI at the University of North > Carol ! vviiiua Cook is now being called, Mr.;. HarMey. Boy, boy, did that high] = -hool English do her good! iShe] how to say i do' correctly. j Austin Moody, H. B Perry Jr.. Ed- j ward Lovili, Thomas B. Moore. Ol- j l??n Cooke Bruce Farthing. Ward Carrol?. Geneva Osborne, Milton Mast, Daisy Austin, Thelma Bond. Virginia South, Grant .Ashley, and others are students at good old Ap' palachian State. The Rambler Hello everybody: No. It isn't the songbird of the South?it's just your old B. H. S. rambler, bringing to you the latest gossip from Boone High. Flash?Robert Davis is reported to lie very fond of little red-headed girls. Ask him about the one from M. C. Flash?Ray Hampton says "If you want your shoes repaired just right, bring them to "me" at the Daniel Boone Shoe Shop." He maintains that his firm "dyes for the ladies". Flash If you want to get up into big figures just try to count the coats Eileen Bryant wears every Jay during the cold weather. Flash- -During this terrible weather I've seen more gaudy, flashy scarfs than ever before, and T usually sec I tkr-rn tied armm/l it | makes me think the good ol* Puritan j styles coining hack into fashion. Flash- In my vVjuhlOn cur school pa| per is setting belter and bettor. V iuii do you think? Flash Mrs, Pyj at to is putting lier knowledge of ; opuu'ir songs into practice, everyday I conversation. When asked why she VERY LATEST By PATRICIA DOW j p ~im I i \\ -U / M'v_. i . ~l\//re \ fll I \M 11 ih=j / / I PaTOW" Jk K \ \ 871H_ LlL &L__2?? The pattern, with complete step by step sewing' instructions, is available in sizes: 36, 38, 40, 12, 44, 46, 48, 50 and 52. Size 38 requires 5'2 yards of 39 inch fabric. Vestee requires U yard lace. Pattern 8714: Not often does one see such a smart and appealing frock for the mature figure as this one, combining as it does the latest in 9tyle trend with the classic simplicity of line and design so essential for matrons. The slenderizing paneled lines of uie aKiri, uie smart cut of the Slee ves ?the dignified neck line?all in perfect taste?blend with unusual harmony in a frock that is as easy to make as it is comfortable and flattering to wear. Note the gathering of the upper waist and the raglan sleeves for case and freedom. Choose a silk crept* or a colorful small-figured print, select smart accessories, and you will have a truly lovely and wearable daytime frock, ready for any occasion. For PATTERN, send 15c In coin (for each pattern desired) Name Address Style No Size To PATRICIA DOW Watauga Democrat Pattern Dept. IIS Oth Ave.?Brooklyn, N. T. she answered "Well, you sec, I'm CO longer "footloose and fancy-free." Flash?I think o!:e of our Freshmen girls, Daisy Shores, bears a striking fi likeness to that child actress, Edith Fellows. Di.i you see her e.-ith Claud- ~ tte Colbert in "She Married Her Boss?" Flask -While I'm talking about the resemblance stuff, have yr.t! ever noticed how Basil Houck's voice sounds just like Abner Pea-; body's of good of Pinerklge? Flash I Er-cr oh, nothing. I can'l think of ! anything else just now in the way of dirt. And so I'll just say "thanks for listening.' And goodbye, folks. THE R AMBLER ANOTHER DISCOVER V 1 The Washington Star) Teacher?Who discovered America V j THE REINS-STURI ASSOCIATi TELEPHONE 24 . . PROTECTION FO Joining Fe? 25c Each Mem As Foil I Qiiar ; One to Ten TeexB 1( | Ten to Twenty-nine Years 21 i Thirty to Fifty Years .4( Fifty to Sixty-five Years C( i ? I ? , in MAN OR You should read some good paper, the columns ol which concise and unbiased manm transpires in your communis and the world. The GREENSBORO DAIL' outstanding newspapers, will in the way of news, edilori; ; reports and sports. Complc ' and private ieaseri wires t Washington, D. C. and Ralei Complete satisfaction will; newspaper as the medium to moving events. Carrier delivery service all at 20c per week. Mail subscription rates, p; six, nine, or twelve months ] Daily and Sunday Daily Only CIRCULAT Greensboro GREENSB( I TIRE P 1 Anr r?Ai I AAL llll] ii := Now is the time to bu7 sc S YEARS, while you can jffj joy the safety of the no =E highways. Old tires ar? S| extremely unwise to ri HI danger the lives of otVi =5 Goodyears cost so littl == trade-in allowance in 1 H gest you see us, before HI vances come. S We have the newest and most =B ment and can make your woi =5 monizing, vulcanizing, give h battery service, and operate j ,S have the most elaborate lubr j=E of the state, and carry Goody CVClJf MUU. = All kinds of Motor Oil. Distri EE sene and Gasoline. | HODGES r "We Tire Wata ?S Telephone 108 FEBRUARY 6. 19% H Student?Ohio. Teacher?No. sonny. Columbus Student?Aw, that was just hb jg$* rat name. $1.54 PACKAGE, now $1.00 SI.00 PACKAGE, now f,0c BOONE DRUG CO. fl The UEAVLL iitoro >IVANT BURIAL j| ION, INC. . BOONE, N. C. R THE FAMILY ber . . . Dues Thereafter ours: tor Yearly Benefit ) .4# 5 50.00 ) .80 100.00 ) i.eo loo.oo K? ) 2.40 100.00 WOMAN 1 1, reliable independent newsshould present in a clear, or, a true picture of what B ty, your state, your nation, V NEWS, one of the Soulh's give you all you may desire d. special features, market to Associated Press reports o its own news bureaus in result if you Select this daily keep in touch with rapidly Trtrtof (Hfurwtirllrtl./. ... iUn nf n* n ^ ii. tiudu *_ vv.1 jr ?> ncic ill U1C Oiaiv ryable in advance, in three, periods: $9.00 per year S7.U0 per year (i ION DEPT. Daily News 3RO, N. C. | RICES 1 [NG IP! I y your New GOOD- || i save money, and en- == n-skid grip on the icy |= s dangerous, and it is {?= isk your life and en- = iers, when new, safe |f e. We have a liberal ?= orce now, and sug- {?: i further prices ad- = modern Retreading Equip- =: n tires like new; we do si- ~ irake lining and approved EE a steam auto laundry. We EE ication system in this part EE ear tires and accessories of ? ibutors of high grade Kero- ]= riRECO. I tuga County" || Boone, N. C. ??
Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.)
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Feb. 6, 1936, edition 1
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