The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1910-03-18
CHAPTER XII.
Continued



her, She could not maintain a bold
front. The recollection came burning
to her cheeks, and brought hot flood
OF tears to her eyes Il only rode the
pony. I meant no harm. / didn't
know it was wrong. Oh. Tom! Tom!
don't tell mother, she cried.
You had better behave, then, .
said Tom, "and don't think you can
crow over me. I've done nothing at
4 all. It's only those old saps that
cannot bear to see a young fellow
having his fun
It was certainly great contrast to
the Inundated condition in which he
came home to think of all the i'm
mense preparations that they were
making to do the young scapegrace
honor. Very far from pointing a
moral to young men Of Toms tastes
was the triumphant coming Of age
after the academical disgrace. No
disgrace, however, can hinder young
man from attaining his twenty-first
birthday, nor change the universal
custom which makes that moment a
period Of congratulation and celebra-
tion. as IL it were by any virtue Of
his that the boy became a man. 1t
occurred to some of the family coun-
sellors who had been summoned for
. the great occasion that, considering
his past behavior, Toms majority
should be passed over with as little
merrymaking as possible. But Beau
fort was once more the young fell
lows champion. He was not the sort
Of man to take lightly the stigma of
the university, and therefore he was
listened to with all the more atten-
tion. Il must repeat again." he said,
"that there is nothing In all this to
prevent Tom from doing well enough
in his natural position. It might be
ruin to some boys, but not to him. I
never expected him to do anything at
Oxford. and I am not surprised at
what has happened But everybody is
not thinking of this as we are. A
great many people will never have
heard of it, nor would they attach
any Importance to 1t If they did hear.
! have told you before, Carry, that
the best Of women are unjust to boys.
It is very natural it should be SO.
Even now however. there is nothing
to prevent Tom from doing very
we'll
The thing is that he seems to be
getting reward for his foolishness,
instead Of any punishment said
Edith Erskine. who was, asS she
thought, upholding her sisters view.s
Az for Carry herself. she had said
nothing. TO discuss her boys follies
was more than she was capable OF.
She could not silence the others who
spoke, but she only looked at them,
she could not speak.
He has been foolish at Oxford.
and the authorities there have pun
ished him; but we have no right to
put back the clock in his life. ana
keep him out of his rights for any
thing he has done. am sure that is
what his mother thinks"
His mother has always been too
tndulgent, and this is what has come
OF it, said old Lord Lindons, shaking
his head. He would have sent Tom
on to Africa or somewhere with an
unfortunate il highly paid bear-leader
from the University to keep him in
order, If Tom would have submitted
on the verge of his lawful freedom
to any such bondage; but this his
grandfather did not take into ac-
count. He shook his head over
Carry's indulgence. and did not at all
understand the look which she turned
dpon him and in which there were I'M
speakable things. sYou may be
angry, If you please, my dear, but
must tell you my opinion. The boy
mas been spoilt all along. AHe is not
OF a nature to stand 1t; he wanted
vigorous hand over him. You should
have remembered the stock OF which
he came
Lady Car looked at her father with
a light in her mild eyes sue. as no
one could remember to have seen
there before. why was my boy Of
that stock?" she said, in voice
which was very low. but full of pas
sion that could not be restrained.
Her mother and sister started with
one impulse to stop further utter
ance. Garry they cried
What? What did she say?. cried
LORD Lindons: but neither Garry nor
any OF the others repeated what she.
had said.
After this strange little scene there
was. however. no more said about
Toms coming of age, which they
could not have kept back If they
would. But all kinds of preparations
were made to make the celebration
worthy. II not Of Tom. yet of the po-
sition which he ought to take in the
county so far as wealth went. His
long minority. and the serapulous
care with which both his estate and
his money had been managed. made
Tom one OF the richest commoners
in Scotland. the very richest. perhaps,
4wrUa -