The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-01-08

utlle explosion. Roger ndu udu uO
more to do with 1t than she had.
Only she wished she could remember
how 1t had felt.
-
She was lying on her bed, propped
up by an extra pillow or two, reading
her favorite sentimental novel, The
sound Of the front door opening gave
her start. But it wasn't mother.
It was Ed. She could tell by the way
he slammed the door. 1t wasn't worth
while getting up for him. When he
called upstairs, "Motherl" she an
swered, Mother isn't home" but not
loud enough to be sure he heard. She
rather hoped he hadn't. Then he'd
go out to the kitchen, get something
to eat, and probably go away again.
She felt perfectly well disposed
toward Ed - hadn't grievance
against him in the world-only she
didn't feel like talking to him, nor to
anybody. Why didn't he 90 over and
see Agatha?
She heard him coming undecisively
up the stairs. From the corridor he
again called "Mother!" and this time
there was no getting out Of 1t.
''She isn't home yet, but think she
will be pretty soon."
He came straight on to her door
and asked, MAY come in? It's you
/ wanted to talk to, anyway"
"Sure!" she said. "Come in. I'm
Just lying down."
"Still feeling rotten?" he asked.
"Oh, no, not especially" she said
bravely. mo, really I'm all right"
He came over and sat down on the
edge Of the bed, lndeterred by the
fact that she didn't move to make
room for him.
you poor kid" he said. I'm hor-
ribly sorry, Edith"
You could see he meant 1t all right.
He bent down over her, and she real
lied that he meant to kiss her. On
an uncomfortable and perfectly auto
matte instinct, she wriggled away
from him.
Deeply hurt, he sat erect again.
She was sorry, but not regretful.
Rogers kiss was safe for a while
longer anyway. She supposed she'd
have to wash her face some time, and
after that, it wouldn't matter. But
until then -.
ooh, that's the way you feel about
me, is it?" Ed asked.
mo. it isn't. don't feel that way
a bit. only I just didn't happen to
feel like being kissed" She thought
of something and yielded to licen-
tious impulse to say it. go over and
do it to Agatha" she said with
smile. "She won't mind"
He went the color of a boiled beet
and sprang erect as If she'd burned
him. He was perfectly speechless,
but he stood looking at her as If he'd
like to wiring her neck.
II didn't mean any harm by that"
she went on. "You do kiss her some
times, don't your"
eve won't discuss her, If you
please" he said icily. II thought you
were her friend-her best friend. She
thinks So"
swell, but I ami" she protested.
''I'm sorry. Ed. I didn't mean any
thing. I take 1t all back. VIII you
forgive mel"
ooh, it's all right. / haven't any
thing to forgive I can see how you
must have felt about me. You must
have hated me-"
"Hated you !"'she echoed, sitting up.
"Don't be silly! I didn't, anything
of the kind"
swell, you didn't have anything on
me if you did. Not last night, after
my talk with dad. l found him sit
ting up waiting for me when came
home from Martha's party. He told
me-all about things. Gosh!"
"All about what?''
Everything" he said. "How hard
up he was because Of the new bust
ness; and about how you and he and
mother were doing without things and
saving every cent you possibly could;
and how they were going to send you
to the high school because they
couldn't afford to keep you on in. the
old school. He told me enough, all
right felt like a NANCY pup in the
dog pound before he got through with
me-"
But 1t wasn't your fault" she pro-
tested. "You didn't know. We didn't
mean you should. We kept it dark on
purpose because we were afraid you'd
be foolish and make fuss about GO
ing back to college. / don't see what
dad had to go and tell you for"
"He said / might have noticed that
you and mother were doing all the
work and done some of it myself, but
what he was sorest about was be-
cause I hadn't Gene down to see his
new shop. He said he'd wanted my
advice about the thing. It's the first
time ever knew he cared anything
about that. Only wish he'd asked
me about 1t before he went in"
'Was that where you went this
morning?" she asked. Didn't it
look Didn't you think it
was :"
.Oh, it'll come out all right, guess.