The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-10-21

when she comes back u Julia'S brother
said ruefully.
whats that?"
Breaking it to her admirers
"Oh, she isn't going to do that"
She'll have to, now" he said. "She'll
either have to write the news to 'em,
or else tell 'em, face to face, when she
comes home"
"She won't do either"
why, how could she get out of it,"
His wife smiled pityingly. "She
hasn't set time for coming home,
has she? Don't you know enough of
Julia's ways to know she'll never in
the world stand up to the music? She
writes that all the family can be told,
because she knows the news will leak
out here and there, in confidence, lit
tie by little; so by the time she gets
home they'll all have been through
their first spasms, and after that she
hopes they'll just send her some for
giving flowers and greet her with
manly handclasps-and get ready to
usher at the wedding!''
"Well," said Mr.. Atwater, "I'm
afraid you're right. 1t does seem
rather like Julia to stay away till the
first of the worst is over. I'm really
sorry for some of her love-lornerS.
suppose it will get whispered about,
and they'll hear it; and there are
some of the poor things that might
take it pretty hard"
stake it pretty hard! 2" she echoed
loudly There's one of 'em, at least,
who will just merely lose his reason!"
(Which one?'
mobile DILL
At this, the slender form of Flor
ence underwent a spasmOdic seizure,
in her chair, but as the fit was short,
and also noiseless, it passed without
being noticed.
Eyes" said Mr.. Atwater. thought
fully. Il suppose he will"
''He certainly will" Mrs. Atwater
declared. mobiles mother told me
last week that he'd gotten so he
was just as liable to drop a fountain
pen in his coffee as lump of sugar;
and when any one speaks to him he
either doesn't know it, or else jumps.
When he says anything, himself, she
says they can scarcely ever make out
what he's talking about. He was try
ing enough before Julia went away;
but since she's been gone Mrs Dill
says he's like nothing in her expert
ence. She says he doesn't inherit it;
Mr.. Dill wasn't anything like this
about her."
Mr.. Atwater smiled family Mrs.
Dill wasn't anything like Julia"
mo" said his wife. "She was
quite sensible girl. I'd hate to be
in her place, now, though, when she
tells Noble about this!''
How can Mrs. Dill tell him, since
she doesn't know it herself"
"Well-perhaps she ought to know
it, so that she could tell him. Some
body ought to tell him, and 1t ought
to be done with the greatest tact. 1t
ought to be broken to- him with the
most delicate care and sympathy, or
lIle consequence
Nobody could foretell the conse-
quences," her husband interrupted-'
mo matter how tactfully it's broken
to Noble"
"No," she said, 81 suppose that's
true. I think he's likely to lose his
reason unless it is done very tactful-
ly. though"
do you think we really ought to
tell Mrs. Dill. Mollie? I mean, seri-
ously: Do you?'
For some moments she considered
his question; then aswered, mo. It's
possible we'd be following Christian
course in doing it; but still we're rath-
er bound not to speak of it outside the
family, and when it does get outside
the family think we'd better not be
the ones ponsible-especially since
it might easily be traced to us. L
think it's usually better to keep out
of things when there's any doubt"
"Yes,' he said, medtating. 81 new
er knew any harm o,come off peoples
sticking to their own affairs"
But as he and his wife became ST.
lent for time, musing in the fire.
light, their daughters special convic-
tions. were far from coincidng with
theirs, although she, likewise, was 81
lent-a strangeness in her which they
should have observed. But so far
We're they from true comprehension
of her, they were unaware that she
had more than a casual, young-c Ou-
sinly interest in Julia Atwater's en-
gagement and in those possible CON
sequences ~ Noble Dill, which they
had sketched with some intentional
exaggeration, and decidedly without
the staggering seriousness attributed
to their predictions by their daughter.
They die not even notice her express
sion when Mr.. Atwater snapped on
the light, in order to read, and she
went quietly out of the library and up
to her own room.
On the floor. near her bed, where
Patty Fairchild had left her coat and