Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-07-18
S-e'-S-o"S-o-S-s'SkkD 's'S-s'e's'S
HAD NO
ACCOUNT
TO BE PAID
IN MONEY
,.......-...-.S3.....,........-.
w
(0 by D. ]. Walsh.l

N OSALIE BRANDON was home
* for a three weeks vacation, and
N as usual her first hours at home
were given over to restoring
order to the doctors accounts, for her
father was notorious for his neglect
of the bookkeeping end Of his large
practice, and Celia, the general house.
with bookkeeping, even if she had
known the meaning Of debit and cred
1t, which was doubtful. The making
of featherweight biscuit, velvety cake
and perfect roasts did not require
knowledge of business efficiency and
Celia rated several degrees above 100
per cent perfect when it came to cook
ing. And as Rosalie frowned over the
accounts, checked one after another
of long, unpaid bills, she kept think
ing how very shabby her fathers old
fur coat was; remembered the pride
he had always taken in his personal
appearance and now, due to his ten
derheartedness, he was wearing a
NANCY old coat with half the hair
worn off it and his suits were shah
by and frayed at the cuffs, despite
repeated DRESSINGS and cleanings! It
wasn't fair! Surely few of those
bills could be met, little by little, If
the debtors tried!
With a coughing, suffering con-
glomeration of foreign noises and
sounds a rattle-trap old car drew up
at the front door of the Doctors house
and a tall, extremely thin young man
unwound himself from the steering
wheel and prepared to alight. Just
dads luck, thought Rosalie, to be out
when a patient who owned even an
apology for a car called! Perhaps
she could make him wait.
as Doctor Brandon in, ma'am"
asked the too-thin owner Of the mys-
terry of the automotive industry.
mo. Won't you wait, though?
now," and Rosalie felt herself warm
ing to the strange young man in spite
Of her annoyance over her fathers
affairs, and she found herself noticing
how very blue the young mans eyes
were; what sad, tired, almost weary
droop there was to his mouth and
wide shoulders as he sat uneasily
awaiting her fathers return. Why, he
couldn't be much over twenty-five. Yet
here he was looking for all the world
as If the cares of nation and a whole
flock of starving orphans were upon
his lone shoulders! And how posi-
lively shabby the mans clothes were,
for all their neat, painful cleanliness
and order! Perhaps II was the car |;
1t certainly looked as though it might
tainly anything as dubious looking as
chat mechanical device might cause
Its owner serious worry and thought
and care; might, Rosalie thought, with
u hint of laughter in her fine gray
eyes, even make one Ill, physically
and otherwise!
But just then Doctor Brandon came
In. greeting the stranger heartily, and
Rosale's eyes narrowed at the patent
embarrassment of the young man, even
while her father introduced them, and
she discovered that he was the very
young minister newly appointed to the
Stockport church.
"Who's got the humps, now, Jeff?"
bluffly jOked the tired doctor as he
fiddled absently with his case of medl-
cine, "or has some one new set of
twins or perhaps the measles?"
swell, you see, sir" began Geof-
frey Harrington ne.vously, that poor
farmer out at the flats already has
seven-and 1t seems the youngest isn't
at all well. and | was wondering IL
perhaps you'd b. willing to go out
and"
"You will not, dad" fiercely inter-
rupted ROsale. You were up all night
with that new Hennessey baby, and
you know you'll never get so much as
a penny, and | just won't let you go
away out there In this cold"
"Then," replied the tired young man
with an even sadder. wearier droop
to his shoulders, "Pm afraid the baby
all the time, and 1t never sleeps"
"Just a moment, JEFF" Interrupted
her father bruskly, land I'll be with
you"
Rosulle heard her father trying to
get the district nurse, and when he
finally came out with the information
that they'd have to go alone ROsalie
ran for her coat and hat and mo-
ment later was shivering over the
cold, Hat road with her father shout
Ing questions and answers to the
young minister above the roar and
CHATTER Of the rscklng, gathering car.
I'm going to stay and help while"
whispered ROsalle when her father
and JEFF came out ready to 90. "You
come for me later. dad, will you?"
and ROsalle knew strange thrill OF
gladness as JEFF eagerly offered to
come and get her any time. and the
thought helped her as she wrestled
with sOlled dishes. heaped up laundry
and uncOmbed. unwashed children.
Never In all her life had Resale
worked 80 hard or 50 gladly. and at 8,
when the early twilight was dlmmlng
the big old kitchen. now scrubbed and
orderly, and the babies were being
served Wholesome supper Of sauce.
milk. corn cake and cookies Rosalie
heard the bang. CHATTER and turmoil