New Britain herald., 1930-01-02


 | know"
 loved the way he straishtened his shoulders and threw his head back, looking steadily at me as he did so. l gave him no hint of any softened mood, and put up my han as he opened eager lips to pour out his tale.
 Just a minute" I said You know of course. that no matter who is to blame for this both you ard Roderick ought to be punished in some way for forgetting that you are gentlemen and fighting in q i ladys home"
 My small sons reading has been somewhat catholic, and his answer vas ready.
 "Yes, we ought to have gone outside, but Roderick-' | q want you to wait here alone | for a few minutes before you tell me anything" I said. "Try to remem- Der everything just as it happened before you speak. Will you do that?" "Yes, Mother" His tone was very subdued, totally unlike the one which had shrilled q won't shake | hands," to his grandmother, but l know that my victory was not yAc | won. He believed firmly that his cousin was primarily to blame f0r the altercation they had staged. and he wished to have that fact rccog- niZed before he proceeded to a discussion of his own fault MaGgc Interviews Ro,lerick Then goodbye. dear" stopp21 and kissed him. ''I will be back n a few minutes"
 Goodbye" lis tone was mcdi- tative, and l knew that he already had begun to go over the affair ds had asked.
 I closed the door after me and went swiftly down the corridor to Dicky's room. Dicky answered my rap and gcstured humorously O. ward the figure of Eoderick sitting stiffly upright by the drop light anl looking at a oook which it was plain he was not reading.
 GO into Fathers room for 2 few minutes" I whispered. "l'll call you when I'm through"
 "Righto." The alacrity with which he disappeared told me how r2- lieved he was to get away from the vicinity of his small nephew.
 1 would have given a good deal to have been somewhere else my self For there was hostility in every line of the small boyish figure and in the eyes which lifted themselves to mine as l spoke his name when Dicky had left the room.
 "Yes, Auntie Madge," he said with the deferentiaI courtesy Harriet had taught him, but there was stub bornncss and hidden defiance in every accent.
 "I think I know what you arc thinking" I said Conversationally as l sat down in a chair opposite him.
 He opened his eyes wide at my statement but made no answer, anl I hurried on.
 You are thinking that because I am Juniors mother l am going to take his side in this. Now don't you?"
 He blinked in surprise and then said slowly:
 Well. why shouldn't you' Yol are his mother" stressing the verb, and you don't know me-
 Roderick's Hostility Vanishes
 rl,o Ia ,Nf hostility in his voice and I took a deep breath in preparation for my | next attack.
 Will you believe me. Roderick. II 1 tell you something on my honor'' If you want to ask Mary, she will | tell you that you can believe me-
 I never have been subjected to a more searching look than Dicky's | youngest nephew then bestowed | upon me; never have felt more than 1 I was on trial before stern tribun- al Finally he said slowly:
 "Yes, I'll believe you.'
 Then I want you to know that l | am not taking Juniors side in this. I haven't even heard his story yet. I am going to give you the chance to tell your side of the story first. And if I punish both of you. 1 dln not going to punish you for the quarrel. That you will have to settle yourselves later on. Your punish- ment, whatever it is will be for fighting indoors like ruffians instoa1 1 of waiting to settle your argument outdoors, as gentlemen do
 It was an experiment, this intro- ducing a modified set of puGilistic | ethics for the consideration of these youngsters. All my training crl@i out against it. But my common sense told me that Roderick and Junior were naturally antagonst'c to each other and the Christmas va cation could easily be spoiled by | their alterations Ordinary meth ods would not prevail. Something drastic would have to be done. And I hugged to myself the knowledge that Dicky might laugh uproariously at my plan. put he would approve it. nevertheless.
 Rodericll eyed me with amaIH- ment Patiently no feminine cd!ct like this ever had come into his life before.
 DO you mean" he said, "that you're going to let Junior and me fight this out some time?"
 Continued Tomorrow)
 Copyright, 1880, Newspaper
 Feature Service, Inc.