The Coolidge examiner., 1932-06-24

Edith didn't mind so much. She
knew the sort of lunches he had
every day. 1t turned out not to mat
| ter, anyhow, since he hardly pre-
tended to eat. Perhaps 1t was rath-
| er easier just at first, as ii gave
them something TO pretend to make
joke about.
But did they mean to go on pre-
1 tending as long as she was there?
Couldn't the talk begin until she'd
left them to themselves? 1t seemed
so. At last dad turned to her and
said, 'Tell me about the trip. had
no sort of q chance at the station
this morning."
Desperately, for a minute, she sat
trying to make a beginning, but it
was no use. The words wouldn't
come.
Some other time" she said. She
pushed back her chair and rose. II
think I'll go out for a while. It's
ages since I've seen any of the
girls"
She was aware, though she'd
turned her face away, of a look be-
tween them, and as she passed dads
chair he held out a hand and
stopped her.
You're welcome to a seat at the
council table, my dear, II you'd like
to stay. I'd like to have you here"
She kissed him when he said that,
and went back to her chair.
He began at once, but you could
tell from the dry brittleness of his
voice that he could hardly get the
words out at all. The business
won't get any help from Bert VIII
lard. He made that finally clear
this morning. He-washes his
hands Of US, as far as keeping on
with the business is concerned. If
l want to liquilate 1t, he says, he'll
be glad to lend me as much as II
needs"
Edith didn't know what liquldate
meant and he went on to explain.
"Close it out; pay its debts; pay
off the employees and let them go;
sell the machinery and the stock
and the patents for whatever we
could get; and dispose of our lease
on the factory; In one word, bury
It,"
The tearing edge of bitterness In
his voice made it hurt to listen.
II think he meant to be kind,
Ned" mother reminded him.
He instantly agreed. 'He did.
From his point of view he's more or
less justified. 1t seems that when l
first suggested his going in he had
consulting engineer make him a
report on the choke. The man made
a number of tests and pronounced
1t of no value. He went no further
than that, but Bert's own chauffeur
did. He tried 1t a week and took 1t
Off the car, saying much what Mari
ner did in his last letter."
A grImace of pain went over his
face. "Oh, from the first it's prob
ably been plain enough to Bert
and to you," he said. Il didn't look
into Mariners history. l didn't get
a dislnterested opinion on the choke.
l went into it like a boy eloping
with a girl he knows his family
won't approve of. Bert made that
comparison at the time. l can't
blame him for irving to stop me be-
fore get any deeper in it-worked
for it. l put some life into it
some of my own"
1t was a long time before anyone
said anything after that. Finally
mother spoke. "If you do-give it
up, Ned, what will you do? After
ward, 1 mean"
If only he wouldn't try to smile!
Edith had to look away when he
answered.
"Bert's suggestion was that l try
to get back my old Job, with the in
surance company. l couldn't do 1t,
of course, but they might give me
something. Is that what you'd want
me TO do?"
Mother didn't answer at all. She
sat very still for a while, thinking.
Then she asked, "Can you go on,
with the other business, without
Bert's help? Have you any choice
about giving it up?"
"Yes, there's a choice. I can
make one more attempt on Jake
German. 1t will be pretty hard to
get his attention, of course, within
day or two of his wedding. It's
forlorn hope. If 1 succeed
Well, that's what l came home for,
really. My only resource after that,
would be to put a mortgage on this
house. l can't do that without your
consent"
I'D consent, of course" mother
said quickly. But
There's no of course about it."
he broke in, savagely. 1--WE had no
right to drag you in as far as this.
I've put you into a HI Of house
hold Kills