The Washington herald., 1914-03-09
DAILY SHORT STORY.
A MOCK pRoD1aAI.
ny ELLA RANDALL rIEAor.

INlnes ol tne snaueu VerdnQa britt
lMaxon somber'y eyed his younger
brother. the gay. central figure of a
lively group on the lawn.
All his life Cecil had been care, and
a trial. He had dehed restrictions, OUT
ranged conventions. dipped into all the
petty dissipations of the town, ioafed.
laughed. and snapped his fingers at
everybody who sought to restrain. ad-
wise, or reproach him. His final act be-
fore his disappearance had been the ap-
iproprfation OF small amount of his
firms cash-which sum his father had
promptly made good-and an attempt to
elope with the ministers pretty daugh-
ter. The girl. however. had faint heart
edly left him at the second railway sta
tion and returned home. weeping and re-
pentant.
Yet, for all the dark record of
lcheckered past, here hei was at home
again. with the family and half the
town gathered about him. each one try
Ing to outdo the others In gladsome hos
pitality.
"vive the returned prodigal,' The
elder brothers meditatlons were bitter.
isn't It wonderful. The folks wouldn't
make such a fuss over me IL I stayed
away nifty years. They're making every
day fete day now, and nobody knows
or cares whether I'm in II or not"
Britt Maxon was usually of good
humor and kindly disposed toward every
one, even the erring younger brother:
but. at this moment. his mood was hostile.
| His watching gaze took In not only the
1.-THE, boyish figure of the returned tru-
ant but the slender. blue-gowned girl
who had been beside him almost con-
| stantly since his arrival Mora Kemp,
100: And she had scarcely known Cecil
before his absence.
| That's the way with women" re-
nected the watcher. give a man the
| reputation Of a dashing devil-may-care
scamp. and they'll find him charming.
Yes CeciPs mighty good-Iooking fell
low-more like a gypsy than ever But
| thought Mora Kemp had common
sense! Well, I'm on"
He turned abruptly, running into his
sister. Fanny. near the inside stairway.
| Oh, Britt. will you come and hull
some berries? I'm going to make some
OF those biscuit shortcakes Cecirs so
| fond of. He says he hasn't seen one
| since he went away. And Miss Kemp's
going to stay to tea. She and Cecil are
going over to the farmhouse now for
the extra cream. ! said I'd send Molly,
but they think it'll be a lark"
Britt considered the long. lonely path
across the wooded hills to the farm
IL.
was certainly making the most Of his
early opportunities.
AT the tea table, encircled with guests
none was so merry as Cecil and the
blonde girl who sat at his right hand.
She turned two or three times to chaI-
lenge her older friend. Britt Maxon: but
the duil' savage mood kept possession
Oh MN. and his attempts at gayety were !
clumsily mechanical.
In the evening Cecil played the man.
dolin and sang fascinating foreign songs.
some OF them accompanied by languish-
ing glances into the nearest feminine |
eyes. When it was time for the little |
party to break up. he went home with |
Mora Kemp.
"A little more of this sort Of thing
and III turn prodigal myself" declared |
the elder brother. "Cecirs a hero, I've |
been sane, safe and steady so long, I've |
ceased to be interesting. It's time gave |
them all something to think about"
A week later. after Cecil and Mora |
had been out conoeing. and the former
had carelessly upset the boat, and had |
then made heroic r-scue, carrying the |
girl in her dripping garments to the |
Maxon home. Britt felt that his time for |
action had come.
The next day everybody IN town was
talking over the strange news Britt
MaNon had gone away mysteriously, |
Britt Maxon had suddenly given up his
fine position with the richest firm In |
town, Britt Ma~on had thrown his fam
lily into a panic. and Fanny Maxon and /
Mora Kemp had been seen crying on
each others shoulder. while Cecil was
trying to comfort them. Il
Let the duffer go-itn do him good" II
said Mora, with dignity. But imagine II
him leaving his splendid position with
the Lomax-Tweed Company" III
why, he started to work there
mere boy. at g a week" walled Fanny. II
And he'd just been made president of
the Canton Club. And I'd counted on his
playing all my Accomplishments this win
ter"
iii play for you" offered Cecil blithe-
ly: but his sister shook her head Cecil
was given to introducing startling i'm
provisations in all his musical perform
ances. "Oh. well. Britt'n be back before
winter
Indeed, no." sighed Fanny. He
wrote to mother-which is more than
you did when you ran away. Cecil-and
he hinted at a trip to South America"
Cecil whistled. His travels had never
taken him as far as that.
The summer passed. and no message
came from the absent one; but Mrs.
Dixon received a Gift now and then,
bearing some distant postmark. The
tokens came unsigned, but the mother
smiled softly when she saw them.
Once, Mora Kemp found a HANDKERCHIEF
Of delicate Mexican handwork in ner
mornings mail; but she spoke of this
10 no one
II was early in the next spring that the
station master at Canton saw familiar
figure approaching from the haltins.
eastbound train
"Ginger-Britt Maxon! Well. l thought
we'd see you back about this time"
Then he shook hands in hearty way,
and fell to chatting in times gone by.
Britt walked through the main street
II the town, where old friends greeted
him casually as though he had been seen
put the day before. Two or three stopped
nim to ask about his travels; but he felt
hat his return was not causing SEN
;atioD.
To be sure. Fanny flung herself upon
him with a girlish cry of delight, and
his mothers hand trembled in his own
or an instant: butt knew you'd come
pack, Britt" said Mrs. MaXon, gently.
And say, Britt" whispered Fanny, as
;oon as they were in the hall again, you
,ot back just in time, Cecirs gone away
Igain!''
"Gone?' echoed Britt. "And mother?"
"Oh, she isn't worrying about him this
ime. He's a born tramp, and he's just
,ent the whole place unset ANYWAY. But