The Coolidge examiner., 1932-04-29
CHAPTER IV-Continued

e
Edith" :" The single word pulled
her up short. 1t wasn't often that
mother took that tone. You're
acting very silly about this. I'm
disappointed in you. You shouldn't
criticize your father, because you
don't understand. 1 don't criti-
cize him, myself l don't want to
because l do understand. He hasn't
been happy for a long time in the
insurance company. He's felt that
there wasn't any future in it for
him. I'm glad he's made the
change, because he's happier. I'll
be glad even if it doesn't come out
exactly as he hopes it will"
a memory of something he'd said
while they were riding home in the
taxi after the play flashed into the
girls mind and held her thought
fully silent for a minute, oblivious
even to her mothers rebuke. He'd
made her rather blue by saying that
he knew now, at forty-six, that
he'd never be rich nor conspicuous
ly successful just as he knew that
he'd never find bag of pearls or
treasure box of pieces -of-eight be-
hind the wainscoting in the library.
You mean," she said thought
fully to her mother, that it's sort
of an adventure for him?"
Mother gave her a funny look at
that YES" she said, that's exact
ly what l mean. And what we
must do is to make our part of it
an adventure, too. Do you see,
dear?'
Edith nodded. That was the line
they'd have to take, all right. But
II didn't seem to her that dad had
my right to throw away a perfect
ly good salary that was keeping
them all safe and comfortable in
favor of hunt for hidden treas
ure. Suppose he didn't find it,
where would they be then?
Mother" she asked, do you
think it will come out right and
make us rich? Honestly, mother?'
Mother wasn't instantly ready
with an answer ut isn't sure to
come out that way, of course" she
said at last. even your father
doesn't say it's sure, but he thinks
it is probable, and his judgment is
usually very good. AS long as he
thinks it's more likely than not to
make us rich, why, l do, too"
1t came over Edith with almost
sickening force that her mother
had no real hope at all. She ex-
pected the adventure to fail. She
was trying to encourage herself.
Bdith found a lump coming in her
throat.
"All right" she said as gayly as
possible, then I'll believe it, too"
When her father came home lit
tie later, she rushed upon him and
gave him tremendous hug.
Dad" she cried. Il think it's per-
fectly great! Mothers been telling
me. I'm simply too excited to
breathe, and I'll bet you are, too,
though you are trying to look sol
emn and middle-aged about it,"
Il am, for a fact" he admitted.
Then he went over to mother and
kissed her cheek. We've had a
good day." he said. "Three nice
orders in one mail. I'd like to cell
ebrate. 1t isn't too late for a movie.
is it,"
Whenever dad was in that mood
Edith found him irresistible. Doubts
and fears were forgotten. OF course
the great adventure was coming out
all right
Sometimes dad came home silent
and depressed, and if he talked at
all it would be unbearably about
bills and expenses and things they
couldn't afford. That mood of his
always reduced Edith to despair.
She had, besides, black moments of
her own. One of the worst of these
was occasioned by her first visit
TO the factory.
1t was in a rather jubilant spirit
of adventure that she set out,
which made the shock of coming
down to literal reality all the
worse, Nothing less explicit than