The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-04-11

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This morning Fanny answered.
She heard a pleasant masculine voice
asking for her husband. Was he
at home? Could he be got to the
phone? Fanny replied no, he wasn't,
to the first question, and no, he
couldn't, to the second.
"What do you want of my husband?"
she inquired. Silence. II said, what
do you want of Will Cooper?" She
raised her voice. Silence again. After
a moments further wait, Fanny real
lied that the man had rung off.
Fanny was puzzled. They had had
the phone two years and to her knowl-
edge this was the first time they had
ever received long-distance CALL.
When Will came home to the mid
day meal, Fanny told him. Will start
ed slightly.
"Was it the same party that called
you twice before?" Fanny asked.
Will cleared his throat. II couldn't
say, Fanny" But he seemed pleased
and f1attered.
"Why don't you eat your pie? Don't
it suit you?" Fanny asked wistfully.
Her apple pie was her pride. Will
always praised it. Now he merely
tasted it, pushed back his chair and
rose from the table.
''Here! Come back here!" called
Fanny. "The whistle won't blow for
twenty minutes yet"
Will looked embarrassed. He sat
down, picked up a newspaper and ap-
peared to read. His thin face bore
a high flush. His mild blue eyes were
dilated with excitement. That mystic
rious long-distance call! Fanny was
more curious than ever. But it was
no use to quiz Will.
That had always been the way with
Will. She herself was the frankest
little woman. She had not secret
from the man she loved. Sometimes
she wondered if Will didn't feel she
him. All the Cooper men felt them
selves superior to their women folks.
They never let their wives interfere
with their private affairs.
'Maybe they'd have got ahead faster
if they had" Fanny reflected with a
shade Of bitterness. II know one time
when if Will had listened to me he'd
have been in a good bit Of money.
When he bought that lot. He's got
the lot yet, and it's cost him more
than it is worth twice over in taxes
and improvements. told him the
Gown wasn't going to build up in that
direction, and it hasn't. / hope all
this ong-distancing don't mean any
thing more of that kind"
Will came home that night in a gay
mood. He asked Fanny to go to the
''movies." You might have thought
he'd had word he was going to receive
a legacy or something like that.
Next morning as Fanny stood at the
sink peeling potatoes for dinner, the
doorbell rang. She opened the door
and saw standing before her large,
bland, finely-dressed man. His back
ground was long and lustrous auto
mobile.
"Does Mr.. W. J. Cooper live here?"
Fanny nodded. SIS he at homer"
Fanny shook her head. "Where can
find him, Miss"
II am Mrs. Cooper" Fanny spoke
crisply. "Are you the man that called
up yesterday"
"Mr. Cooper was called up from our
office, I believe. Where did you. say
could find him, Mrs. Cooper?"
"Are you trying to sell him some
thing?"
"My business, madam, is with Mr..
Cooper. My time is valuable. If you
don't feel like telling me where he is
must inquire elsewhere"
Something landed at Fanny's feet
the morning newspaper, printed in the
nearest city and delivered daily to ell
most every resident in Westmore. Abb
sently Fanny stopped and picked up
the news sheet. Compactly folded, the
headlines presented but one word to
her rowing glance. But that word ar
rested her attention to a surprising de-
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that the big man had turned from her
and was going down the steps toward
the car.
Fanny glanced rapidly dowA the
front page. That man! He would
find Will. But before he found Will
there was something she must do.
Fanny grabbed her coat and put 1t
on right over her work apron. From
q bureau drawer she got a small key
on a red ribbon. Out of the house she
went by the back door. She ran till
she reached the main street. Here she
crossed. regardless of the green light
which set traffic in motion. The fem
der of car tipped her skirt. Heed
less, she dashed on, up the steps of
the bank, into the building: A word
to the clerk at the window and a door
opened for her as by magic. She was
at the entrance of the vault. She pre-
scented her key and was handed the
long. narrow safety deposit box which
held sheaf of precious bonds, the
savings of years. With trembling
hands Fanny removed the papers and