The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-02-03

III was me LnaI broke the engage
ment,r said Paul, stiffly and ingram
matically.
Resale stared at him speechlessly
for a moment. But only for a mo-
ment.
$50 that's the kind of a bird you are
is itr' she inquired with immeasur-
able scorn. well, I've heard lot
about ancestors since struck this
burg, and don't deny that you've got
something to be proud of along that
line. The men that came up hereto
say nothing of the women that came
with 'em-and just got settled when
the Revolutionary war broke out, and
were willing and glad to strike out
again and fight for their country, were
sure all wool and a yard wide and
then some. But guess If they could
look up or down now, as the case may
be, and see their descendants wearing
out the seats Of their trousers sitting
on the post Office steps and saying
what they'd do IL they was President,
or standing on the curbstone in Wal
lacetown thinking they're having the
hi of a time because they've got a
couple too many drinks inside of them
and are talking to some skirt they
wouldn't introduce to their mother
guess them old captains and judges
and governors would think the good
old stock had run down to pretty.
poor line of goodsl got fellah in
New York-floor walker on the eighth
who doesn't know who his father
was, let alone any great-grandsI But
he's white clean through for all that,
believe mel If he could have your
chance, myl what he'd have done
with 1t! A good home and money for
an education and a lady for a sweet
heart And you've turned up your
ugly nose at all of them-while he's
had to climb out of the gutter on his
way to decency without a soul to help
him. But he's got there, all right. I've
written Steve that If he still wants
girl who's been fool enough to play
round all summer with a stupid rube
that was another girls beau, he can
have her, and he's telegraphed back
prepaid that he'd be waiting in the
Grand Central right by the gate on
Thursday"
Resale having departed without fur
Their delay to smooth things out with
Steve, that episode seemed to be
closed, and Paul felt that he had rea-
son to hope that it would be long
time before anyone made him so
thoroughly uncomfortable again. But
he was mistaken. The next person to
treat him harshly was Doctor Noble.
Meeting the boy one day on the road,
down which Paul was wandering some
what aimlessIy, David brought his mo-
tor to stop and hailed him.
"Just the person I've been hoping
to see," he remarked pleasantly. II
wanted to speak to you about your
fiancee. I'm worried about her. /
don't think she's looking at all we'll"
.'If you mean my cousin, Mary Man.
ming" said Paul with forced dignity.
"she isn't my fiancee."
"Oh," said David still pleasantly.
"Well-of course that must be great
disappointment to you, but perhaps
it's all for the best. OF course your
tastes wouldn't be particularly con-
genial. Mary has such fine mind. :.
Well, must pass along the good news
to Thomas Gray the next time see
him, If he hasn't heard It already.
believe he thought, with considerable
regret, that you had the right of way
in that quarter"
Paul glared. People seemed bent on
reminding him that Mary was not,
after all, in the least dependent upon
him for masculine attentions. It hurt
his pride.
.The war news isn't very good, is
itY went on David with an abrupt
change of subject. Ever thought Of
enlisting in the Foreign legionr
"Lord, moi" Paul exclaimed. "Why
should II"
"Why, you're exactly the sort Of
chap for it! No ties of any kind, In
dependent income, fine constitution"
Farmers can't be spared" quoted
Paul hurriedly. recalling statistics he
had happened to read in some news
paper. at takes five men in the field
to keep one at the front. And I've
got heart trouble" he went on, grow
ing very red and writing more and
more at David's pleasant voice.
"Hard luckl But are you surei
Been examined lately? Well, come up
to the house some evening and let me
look you over. Some evening soon.
I'm going across myself, very shortly,
as a member Of one of the Harvard
medical units. Wen be connected
with the British army. Jacqueline's
going to take up some branch of Red
Cross work-nursing, probably. 1t
isn't as five had any children"
ended David little wistfully. I'm
sure Austin Gray would have done
something long ago If it hadn't been
for Sylvia. Naturally any man that's
fortunate enough to get a family like
that makes it his first consideration as
long as he can. Well, gOOd-by."