The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-11-25
The Middle Ground
JAMES FRIEND.
Chanter ~
BY MARION RuBINCAM

restored by the appearance OF this
strange new friend of James. Donald !
Moore was a young doctor and looked
it That is, he had cultivated small
moustache to give him a properly pro-
fessional appearance and also to make
him look older and more responsible,
and he was always overcarefully
dressed
For the rest, he was rather fine
looking, with clear skin and a great
deal of color, firm muscled. erect.
with steel-blue eyes that narrowed
a little when he was intently interest
cd. and a quantity of straight brown
ish hair
He showed lot of surprising cha,
acteristics from the start. Jane gave
up her room to him and slept with
Amy. who was more and more thrilled
as all these new people came into her
otherwise monotonous life.
The first morning after he came, he
was. not at the breakfast table.
Probably tired from his trip and
asleep" Mrs. Talbot excused him.
NO, he likes a long tramp and
swim before breakfast" Jane answer
ed. II heard him get up early AMI
20 out He has probably gone over
for a swim in the river"
That meant a walk of five miles
there and back.
"If he wants exercise, he might
come out and pitch hay" Jordan re-
marked.
At this. the surprising guest return
ed. his skin glowing from his tramp
and the cold bath And he did go out
and pitch hay, keeping at the work as
we'll as the farm hands and ending
less fatigued than they.
He keeps all his muscles fit by
exercising; otherwise parts of his
body would go stale Jane remarked.
watching his figure among others IN
the hay field
The mother decided her daughter
had rather too intimate an acqualnt-
ance with the habits and views OF tins
man. Somehow-well, it just didn't
seem right!
In the evening Donald put DICK
through a course of setting up gym
nastics that left the easy going boy "A
wreck. Amy, smiling impishly let
him lie on the grass alone and neg
lected, and gave the young doctor
her undivided attention all evening
But the mother did not think 1t
proper for her guests to work, so the
next day Donald's services were re-
fused, and the long afternoon was
spent out under the trees with Luther
in his hammock and Claire at work
on a dress she was making for Amy
You mustn't mind if your father Is
cross at supper" Mrs. Talbot said
once. making the excuse beforehand
for the i'll humor she knew was tc
come. It's Is hours of work every
day this season"
That's all wrong Donald remark
cd. Even a farm can be run on an
eight hour schedule. The hands neeo
not begin so early. You have to nave
YOUR labor run in overlapping shlits-
but il can be done"
When a mans poor he can't hire
more men, and we can't always get
them
1T is a matter Of using what you
have better No trade in the world Is
20 hidebound by tradition as the farm
er's trade. The farmer is the grea1
re-actionary. If we could get him anC
his class to see things differently, W.
wouldn't have such backward
country"
Donald was off on his favorite topic
Mrs Talbot fretted but dared not sa!
ANYTHING. Donald protested that n
could have sent in four more load!
of hay every hour to the barn, II th'
wagons had been run his way
Mrs Talbot was silent. How couit
no improve on work he never dld
when her husband had been at 1t al
his life? That was her concluslv'
argument-Donald's proof OF nj
theory never reached her at all
1T is hard enough to save up
little money to leave your children,
she began once.
You have no right to save any
thing for your children. Give theL
q fair start in life and your response
hilitv ends there. if the children ar
mentally and physically anywher
near normal. If they are hopelessI
idiotic or hopelessly incompetent
we'll there should be some palnles
vav of disposing of them" shocko'
,nurnur came from young Amy an
her mother. "Of course, none OF u
dare TO be the judges OF VINO IS
drag on the community and VINO ism
myself would not dare to XIII or le
die. child coming into the Wort
though ! knew the child would gIo'
up a public menace ,, ,1,,
Won would be a murderer, MI:
Talbot said flatly. =.
AS for inheriting money, the II
reritauce tax should be so great
one would have any incentive
noard." Jane put it, this being be
favorite topic.
Mrs. Talbot felt her brain beginnln