The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-01-01
CHAPTER IV-Continued

I'm helping mother now, you know,
with the house work and I haven't
done a thing today. Goodbye
She was trembling. The tears would
show in her eyes in another minute.
She got out of that house as fast as
she could.
1t must have been Ed who tele-
phoned. If it had been anyone else,
Agatha would have told her who it
was. She must have told him he had
to go right after lunch. That was why
she hadn't been surprised when he
rushed off like that. But she'd told
him he could come back after his sis
ter had gone. She was probably to
have telephoned him but he hadn't
waited.
He'd said, "Has she gone yet?" That
was when Agatha had said mo" He'd
asked how much longer she was going
to stay, and Agatha had said she
didn't know. And then he'd asked
Agatha-he must have-to tell Edith
she had another engagement, and
ARdtAd Adu odlQ Va COuISC Sic WOuluA
and told him not to be silly.
But she hadn't cared, really. She
\ was telephoning him now, that the
coast was clear and that he could
come. Edith knew it as well as If
she'd heard the whole thing.
She didn't quarrel openly either
with Agatha or with Ed. She even
forbore to inquire whether she had
grounds for quarrel and SO kept
alive the possibility that she'd misin-
terpreted that telephone call. With
each of them separately she had some
really good times. It was only as a
couple that Ed and Agatha made her
unhappy.
She puzzled good deal over her
feelings about this phenomenon. AS
Stunning that Ed had TO get silly about
a girl and Agatha about boy, she'd
have thought it better that they turn
toward each other than that they
should drag in pair of outsiders, but
she didn't believe now that she'd have
minded the latter alternative so much.
There was something subtly infuriat-
ing about relation between those two
which left her out. 1t seemed like
betrayal.
1t was perfectly terrible the way
Eds engagements kept him running
around. From the time he got up.
along toward noon. until he came
home to bed at some unknown 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 it, though it was several days
before he said anything.
But one night at dinner, two or
three days after Christmas, he blew
up. They expected Ed to be at home
for that meal and had place set for
him, but he didn't appear. II don't
know what to make of the boy" Dad
said. "Last summer l thought he
showed signs Of being a man. He
worked hard; he acted like respon-
sible being. Now he shows no signs
Of responsibility for anything or con-
sideration Of anybody. He's neglecting
Edith, going of to parties that she's
not included 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 natural affection for me, would
lead him to come and see what we're
Nng. If this is what college does
lhim, doubt If it's worth the sacri-
~ / don't feel like sacrificing you
~ Edith for him, and that's the
Eth"
BE was funny that mother didn't
AZ in Eds defense. After a while
- a said, IF you mean the Malverns'
Ally, don't think Ed neglected me.
think it would be silly for him to
ay home just because wasn't asked.
e said II wanted to 60, he'd get
gatha to ask them to invite me, and
al told him 1 didn't want to go. So
you don't have to worry about me.
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