The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1928-12-14

elegant, old, beautifully gardened
colonial house was comfortable.
William McNeff in his dignified yellow
brick mansion on the hill was comfort
able. Myra at thirty-five, with an old
cousin for companion and quasihouse-
kehper. belonged to the best clubs,
we q shining small car, went to
Is and Iuncheons, played golf, kept
sipG her music and was head OF the
community welfare committee. She
was a prominent woman In Doyles-
town.
A prominent man was William Nc
Neff. At forty president of the Doyles-
town National bank, he basked In the
warm devotion of a pair Of ultraca-
pable coIorec servants, played golf,
wore impeccable clothes, functioned
rs pillar in his church and headed the
county Red Cross organizations
They were very comfortable, indeed,
Miss Myra Master and William Nc
Neff.
Less comfortable, however, was.
Doylestown with regard to Miss Mas
tiers sand Mr.. McNeff. "A few there
were, Of course, who considered Miss
Masters and Mr.. .McNeff not incapable
of deciding the question, to marry or
not to marry, for themselves. Others
there were. unhappily, who expressed
themselves after this fashion: "You
Just have to pinch yourself to make
yourself realize Myra Masters and
win McNeff aren't an old married
couple They sit at lyceum concert,
not talking, just looking calm and
bored, as if they'd been sitting oppo-
site each other at the breakfast table
every morning for twenty years. Tire
some, they are. Why don't they get
married? Gcing together fifteen years
and no nearer marrying than they
were the day they got introduced! !"
But came change April and ice
in the north melting April and skies
weeping with silly joy at the coming
lof leaves and flowers and song-birds.
Rain. rain. rain, days of rain, weeks
OF rain, almost a month Of nothing
but rain. The placid Muskingum be-
tween its lush green banks dreamed
it was the Amazon. Yellow and swift
It poured into the White at DoyIes-
town. The White dreamed it was the
sea. Both rivers megalomaniacs,
DoyIestown became very damp indeed.
The mill workers awoke one morning
and found water creeping into their
bedrooms. Boats took the people away
and deposited them in the courthouse,
in the high school building, In churches
on the hill, out ofreach of the worst
food in the memory of the oldest old
timer.
William McNeff Of the Red Cross
became exceedingly busy, as did Myra
Masters Of the community welfare
Committee. Day and night Mr.. Nc
'Neff directed relief work in, the half
submerged county. Day and night in
the courthouse Miss Masters gave dry
clothing to wet people and hot food
and Gained their fears.
Very early on the third morning
telephone in the courthouse rang and
Miss Masters was called.
Say came in a perturbed voice,
els this the head OF the welfare COM
mittee? This is 4O5 First street. Well,
they's a family up a ways from here
In awful bad shape. Sick children,
know. / can see water this morning
all over the downstairs and it's COM
ing up. Something'll have to be done
right away"
Myra looked about among her help
ers. Busy and tagged they all were.
She beckoned to a young doctor just
Strengthening himself up from the bed
of a man with broken leg. She led
the young doctor to the foot Of the
courthouse, steps. Here one small
boat waited, manned by small negro
boy. In this there was nothing for ii
but to set out. Down the swift cur
rent of Putnam avenue they precari-
ously voyaged, past Fourth. Third,
Second and First. Across stretch
Of open water was a twotstery house
alone. They decided to investigate:
AS they went nearer they saw a wom-
an at second-story window, the wa
ter but a foot below the porch. Myra
and the young doctor climbed over the
porch, entered the bedroom. glance
verified the telephone story. Two chill
dren lay in the bed, i'll. The doctor
went to them and examined them.
"Looks lot like diphtlleria," he
said, turning to Myra; "better be
moved right away where they can
have antitoxin."
II got baby and another one in
the next ROOM" the mother. .haggard
with apprehension and WEAKNESS said.
"You go with the doctor and these
two,' Myra suggested, sand I'll stay
with the other two until the boat
comes back"
After ten minutes of swift, efficient
work, the small boat moved away from
the house. the doctor holding one
small shawled form and the mother
)he other. Myra watched from the
low until the craft was headed to-
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