The Coolidge examiner., 1932-05-13

those two which left her out. 1t
seemed like a betrayal.
1t was perfectly terrible the way
Eds engagements kept him run
ming around. From the time he got
up. along toward noon, until he
came home TO bed at some un-
known small hour In the morning,
| they never saw him at all, except
when he dashed home TO change his
clothes. Dad, she could see. was
getting pretty sore about 1t, though
it was several days before he said
anything.
But one night mt dinner, two or
three days after Christmas. he blew
up. They expected Ed TO be at
home for that meal and had a place
set for him, but he didn't appear.
II don't know what to make Of the
boy" Dad said. Last summer |
thought he showed signs of being
man. He worked hard; he acted
like a responsible being. Now he
shows no signs of responsibility for
anything or consideration of any
body. He's neglectlng Edith, go
ing off to parties that she's not In
cluded In. He makes extra work
for you, getting special meals for
him and so on-and he knows that
you and Edith have to do 1t all
and he doesn't even pretend to take
an interest In my concerns. You'd
| think that ordinary curiosity and
self-interest, even If he has no nat
ural affection for me. would lead
| him to come and see what we're
doing. II this is what college does
for him, l doubt II it's worth the
sacrifice. l don't feel like sacrific-
ing you and Edith for him. and
that's the truth"
1t was funny that mother didn't
speak in Eds defense. After a while
Edith said, IF you mean the NAL
verns' party, l don't think Ed
neglected me- | think 1t would be
silly for him to stay home just be-
cause / wasn't asked. He said If /
wanted to go. he'd get Agatha to
ask them to invite me, and told
him l didn't want to go. So you
don't have to worry about me. /
don't feel as If / was being sacri-
feed"
But her defense didn't have the
result she'd looked for. Dads face
twitched with pain. He looked as
IL he might be going to cry. In
panic she turned from him to moth
er. There were tears in mothers
eyes. Edith pushed back her chair.
gripping the edge of the table with
both hands.
Il can't stand it," she said. II
just can't stand itl | know some
thing perfectly horrible's going to
happen that l don't know about. |
want it to happen and get 1t over.
It's just rotten, like this I'm sorry,
mother. l don't want any more din
ner."
She managed to hold back the
sob that was coming until she had
got out into the hall. She fed up
stairs to her room where she could
cry as much as she liked and where,
by virtue of that fact, ii was much
easier not TO. She turned on the
light looked at herself dispassion-
ately in the mirror and wiping away
the two incipient tears proceeded TO
pull herself together. She'd made
a good start at this when, at the
sound of her mothers step on the
stair, her heart turned to lead.
Mother hadn't finished dinner,
either. She'd never have left dad
to come to her unless-unless that
random shot about something horri-
Die that was about to happen had
hit the mark. There was something.
There really was. She cried, as her
mother appeared in the doorway.
You've come up to tell me what
it isw
Mother noddeds but before she
said anything she came across the
room and sat down on the edge of
the bed. 1T isn't a life-or-death
matter" she said. ut isn't anything
that need make any real difference,
except :" But it seemed, she
couldn't go on with that.
Il suppose dads business has
failed" Edith said duly. rs that
it?"
This seemed to help mother out.
NO, it isn't that at all. 1t isn't near
| ly as bad as that. In some ways
the business looks better than it
did. Only it does need more money
to get it started than your father
| thought it would. He thinks he
could get some one else, Agatha's
father, perhaps, to put money in, as
an investment. But that would
mean giving him a share in the busi-
ness. Just as Mr.. Mariner had to
| give dad share. So instead of do
ing that, he's decided to borrow the
money himself, and put it in. And,
besides, that will give him the con-
troll, instead of Mariner. But bor-
/ rowing fhp D1Onpu 9 ho'1 havo to