Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-02
1t was Jim Wheelcr's turn to take ur

Ii was Jim Wheeler q turn to take ur
the shuttle. \ girl met in some casual
fashion. his own youth and the urge
Of It, perhaps, the unconscious family
Indulgence in an only son--and Jim
wove his bit and passed on.
There had been mild contention in
the Wheeler family during all the
spring. Looking out from his quiet
windows Walter Wheeler saw the young
world going by a-whccl, and going fast
Much that lcgitimatcly belonged to it,
and much that did not in the laxness
of the new code. he laid to the auto.
mobile And doggcdly refused to buy
one
: 1--WE can always get taXic0b, wns
his imperturbabl" answer to jim. u
/ pay pretty GOODS sized taxi bills with
out unpleasant discussion. | know you
: pretty we'll too. Jim. Better than you
know yourself. And if you had n car,
you'd try your best t" break your neck
in it,
Now and then Jim got car, how
ever. Sometimes he rented one. some
times he cajolcd Nina into lending him
hers.
"A fellow looks n fool without one. -
taken out. It's part of the game.
And NiHu. always reached by that
argument Of how things looked, now
and then reluctantly acQutosced. But
night or two after David and Lucy
had started for the seashorc Nina came
in like a whirlwind, and routed the
family peace Immediately.
Father" she said you must speak
to Jim. He's taken our car twice ut
night without asking for it. and last
night he broke spring. Les is simply
crazy
"'rakcn your car Mrs Wheeler e1-
claimed.
YES. hate telling on him. hut I
spoke to him after the first time, and
he did it anyhow.
Mrs. Wheeler glanced at her hus-
band unea>iIy. She often felt he was
too sever" with Jim.
"non't worry he said grimly
Hell not to it again"
IF We only had II ear of our own
Mrs. Wheeler protested
''Iou know what think about that,
mother. I'm not going to have him joy
riding over the country. breaking his
neck and getting into trouble. I've
seen him riding IN Wallace Sayre' S
car. and he drives like fool or mad
man.
+ It was an old dispute and n bitter
one. Mr.. Wheeler got up, whistlcd
for the dog, and went out. His wife
turned on Nina.
II wish you wouldn't bring those
things to Your father. Nina. she said.
"IIc's bccn very nervous lately, and he
isn't always fair 10 jim
"Wcll. It's time Jim was fair to Les
lie. Nina said, with family frankness.
I'll tell you something, mother. jim
has a girl somewhere. in town probably.
He takes her driving. 7 found a glove
in the car. And he must be crazy about
her. or he'd never do what he's done.
DO YOU krow who 1t is"'
"No. Somebody's he's ashamed OF,
probably, or he wouldn, be so c!andes-
tine about it.
nina :"
"Wcl!. il looks like it. inns man.
mother, He's not a little hoy. He'll
60 through his shady period, like the
rest"
That night It was Mrs. Wheeler's
turn 70 lie awake. Again and again She
went over Niras words. and hpr trou-
blcd mind found n basis IN fact for
them. Jim had been getting money
from her, ~ supplement his small sal
ary; he had been going Uut great
deal at night. and returning very late:
once or twice in the morning he had
looked i'll and his eyes had been blood
SHOT. as though he had been drinking