The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-04-14
CHAPTER III
A Box of Flowers.


the next evening at dinner. He had
spent a delightful day settling him
self in his big room, finally accepting
Cary's invitation to see some of the
sights of Denver in the late after
noon.
Geoff noticed that the boy consulted
| his wristwatch frequently as six
O'Clock approached. When the car was
finally headed toward home he said
hesitatingly:
4 "Old man, I'd appreciate 1t IL you'd
forget to mention this drive of ours
to Cynthiav'
'For Pete's sake, why?" Geoff de-
manded. Does she fear the contaml-
nation of my presence on your pure
young souI?"
Cary grinhed. "Shes much more
likely to hold you up to me as an ex-
ample of what the Industrious young
man does to forward his career You
see," he went on ingratiatingly, I've
lost my job, and I'd just as soon Gym
thia wouldn't know it until 1 land an
other. I'll pick up something else in a
day or two and then I'll break it to her
gently that I've bettered myself. Till
then I'd just as soon she didn't know 4
| was fired from my last position"
"Would she raise a row?" GeOff
asked curiously.
"Would she! Cynthia's the grandest
little raiser of rows you ever knew"
IT can imagine" Geoff said dryly.
"Well, your dark secret is safe with
me. Maybe I can land something for
you in the laboratory"
Don't bother. 1 never have any
trouble getting job. It's holding
EN-" he explained ingenuously, that
ties me into bow-knots."
Cynthia was home when they ar
rived. She eyed her brother little
sharply, "Did you pick Geoff up on
your way homer" And to Geoff: II
didn't know you intended to start work
today"
II didn't" he said offhandedly. CAS-
a matter of fact, I met Cary-ah-on
the street, and he gave me a lift"
That the street was the one which
ran in front of the house he did not
think it necessary to explain. Il want
to buy car of my own" he went on.
'T'm going to explore the mountains
on Saturday afternoons and Sundays.
They're not at all like our eastern
mountains, you know. They"
81 know" she interrupted shortly,
| sgY .,x,ox% two x,oovc In tho
"You did? And never let us know
you were there?"
II was in college. Your mother was
abroad with your father"
"What college?"
"Smith."
"Did you finish?"
Miss Nonas gentle voice inter-
vened. mo, she didn't finish, Geoff.
was so glad when she decided to
give it up and come home! I suppose
college life is all right for girls these
days, but somehow I never could be
quite reconciled to my little girls living
so far from her family" She smiled
at Geoff. 81 behaved awfully well
about letting her go. didn't say a
word against it though cried myself
to sleep night after night after she
left. And behold the reward of vir-
tue! Cynthia came home Of her own
accord after the second year."
Geoff shot her questioning glance.
What had changed her mind? She
didn't seem like a girl who would stop
halfway through her college career.
Cynthia rose suddenly. Dinners
late. I'll go and speak to Marguerite"
Geoff delighted in this appellation
for the dusky maid-of-all-work. It
fitted in exactly with this casual, con-
Trajectory family. Only Cynthia struck
discordant note in the general har-
mony. Captain Cary was courtly and
gracious, Miss Mona was charming,
Cary's light-heartedness was attrac-
tive, Tenny was an unusually interest
ing little girl. But Cynthia!
Geoff, who was on good terms with
almost everybody he knew, found HIM
self actually disliking the girl. He
was uneasily aware that she tolerated
him as his mothers son rather than
accepted him for those winning quail
tiles which other girls had given him
to understand he possessed. He was
saved from egotism by healthy reali-
cation of his own defects. Neverthe-
less it was a new and rather painful
experience to find that this small
brown girl whose one beauty was her
blue eyes observed these defects also.
Dinner tonight was in noticeable
contrast with that of the evening be-
fore. The food was abundant and
well-cooked but there were no fancy
| frills of mushrooms and ice cream
rosebuds. Broiled steak, creamed ,po-
tatoes, tomato salad cherry dumplings
with hard sauce-that constituted the
meal Marguerite's cap and apron had
lost little of their crispness. Only
the flower centerpiece was as beauti-
full: pink snapdragons. tonight, with
baby's-breath and cornflowers.
"From your garden?" he asked Miss
| Mona