The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-05-05

"And | used to wonder what made
Cynthia so worn out" he unused as he
went upstairs In search of Cary.
"Look here" he said without pre-
amble, Il suppose you know what Doc
tor Bigham has let me in for!"
'It's darned good of you, tool" Cary
said warmly. II don't know what
we'd have done If you hadn't volun-
teered."
II didn't volunteer-not so you'd
notice it," was the grim response.
"But since seem to be let in for it,
I'll have to get the low-down on the
facts. How much does Cynthia run
this house on?"
"You can't prove it by me-" Cary
said, stretching languid hand for his
package of cigarettes. "Have one?
You see, she takes certain sum each
month from the shops earnings, and
with your board and Tenny's, she pays
cash for everything. You'll have to
watch Miss Nona," he went on affably.
IF she gets half chance she'll charge
things. That's what balled us up while
Cynthia was at college. We had
housekeeper before Dad died. Then
everything went to smash except his
insurance and the money he left Gym
thia and me-"
HE left you something, then?"
"Sure-each of us five thousand
dollars. Miss Mona had the insurance
enough to live on the rest of her
life, too," he added thoughtfully.
"What happened to it?"
swell, you see. Miss Mona simply
ran riot. Shed never had that much
money to spend before. When the
ready cash was gone she began charg-
ing things and the first thing / knew,
collectors were clustered thick as flies
on the doorsteps-it was dickens
of mess -
Geoff's expression was rather grim.
ssThen what?"
II wrote Cynthia and she took the
first train home"
"Gave up her college?"
Cary rolled astonished eyes at him.
"What else was there for her to do? l
didn't know anything about running
the house."
II see!" Geoff thought he was be-
ginning to see indeed. "And what
did Cynthia do when she came back?"
started the shop. 1t seemed to me
a lot simpler for her to use her money
to pay the bills and quiet things
down"
"Her money? What about yours?'
Cary grinned. "D'you think l could
hold on to five thousand for more than
two years? Man, it went so fast I
hardly got a glimpse of 1t as it passed
from my hand to-others! Cynthia
started the Odds and Ends, and she
went to Miss Nona's creditors and ex-
planned that she'd pay something
every month If they'd give her time.
You wouldn't believe how nearly she's
out of debt" he finished complacently
Cary's casual air of detachment from
his mothers financial problems was
staggering to Geoff. Little by little
his first picture Of the Aylesbury fam
lily was changing. In that Cynthia, q
tyrannical, penurious little figure, had
been etched sharply against a back
ground of kindly, gentle, charming peo-
pie who loved her in spite of her diff
ference from themselves.
Now he saw her as care-worn
girl, spending her youth in an effort
to discharge her foolish mothers debts,
keeping sharp watch of the irrespon-
sible Cary, exacting board from visit
ors who planned to stay a year, en-
deavoring to put Mr.. Montague's
check to the best use before Miss Mona
spent 1t for extravagant trifies.
Anger welled up in Geoffs heart;
anger against the sweet but futile
Miss Mona, against the impracticable
Captain, above all against the grace
full youth who lay ON his bed smoking
while his young sister battled-it
might be for her very life lin the hos
pital as result of the burdens her
young shoulders had borne.
AS though Cary read his thoughts,
he smiled ruefully.
"Nice family, aren't we? But here's
one thing you've got to take into con-
sideration, Geoff. We've had plenty
of money all our lives-up to the time
Dad died and everything went blooie
1t took me four whole years to realize
that couldn't ask Dad or Miss Mona
for a check whenever I wanted It'll
suppose Cynthia would say don't en-.
tirely realize 1t yet.
But I'm learning, Geoff! Give You
my word I'm learning. I'm not proud
of my record since Dad died. If il
hadn't been for Cynthia standing b,
me, polzing me up when Jagged and
smoothing me down when l got toe
discouraged, I'd have done something
pretty desperate before now"
This, Geoff told himself, was true
To one of Cary's disposition, disgrace
and poverty were obstacles too grea
to be borne. He would have side
stepped themz1in whatever manner o.
fered itself at the time. Not the leas