The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-04-12

left to try to talk him into being care
full but Dawn. And how am going to
get her to see her duty when she goes
into a cryin' fit every time his names
mentioned? Yes, sir. Every time she
hears his NAME"
"She doesn't yet see that the affair
was a put-up job. then?"
"See? She can't see anything, Able
Armitage! Put yourself In her place.
Suppose you were young girl who's
had the things to bear that she has
all her life; and suppose you fell in
love for the first time; and suppose
that young man was accused of such
nastiness right in public with every
body listening and gawping? Would
you stop to figure that the reason he
seemed guilty was natural? That the
thing was so far fetched from the
truth and such shock that he was all
kerfiummoxed? l should say you
wouldn'tl You'd do just what she's
doin'; make yourself all sick with
chills and fever by cryin'!"
She twitched at the skirts of her
cloak irritably and glared at the old
justice as though he were a sworn
enemy instead Of a friend.
what ails her is shock. She amt
got over the shock yet and every time
his name or anything else about him is
mentioned it sets her off again. She'll
get over 1t, give her time. But then
| she'll be so Inundated to think she
didn't use her reason thar she won't be
herself for another SPELL Andshe should
be herself now! There amt any time to
lose. She should patch up her mis-
understanding with him right today
right this hour-and use her influence
to persuade him to keep low. But how
it's to be done I'd like to know. For
Lords sake, Able, amt you got a sim
gle suggestion?"
The justice had been stuffing light
wood into his stove during this. Now
he touched a match to the finder,
opened the drafts and stood with hands
behind him, rusty overcoat unbuttoned
and dropping, deep in thought
ITS difficult to get anyone in her
state to use reason. Maybe the shock
Of knowing that Ben's life is in danger
would be a counter irritant to this
other shock. Maybe not. If the affair
of last week could be cleared up, If
Dawn could be shown that this Lydia
woman was only carrying out plan
But l wonder :"
| Aunt EN- stiffened in her chair. She
looked hard at Able and her eyes mar
rowed trifle.
"You see," he resumed, "if the
girl"
Hold ON, Able Armitagel" she cut
in, holding up a hand in warning.
Hold on, nowl I've got to think. i.
Got to think, tell you'll And can't
think while you carry on your gable |!
You leave me alone, now. Keep
your tongue still. They say a
woman's tongue is hung in the middle
| and loose at both ends. =. But /. {.
Yum :" AS she pressed one hand
over her eyes her words dwindled to
unintelligible mumblings.
"Ive got tt" she cried excltedly
after a moment. "Pve got It, now |!
You stay right here, Able! You stay
until l came back. If 1t works, it
works. If it don't, it'll be time
| to talk some more!"
She moved resolutely to the door, left
the office and strobe down the street.
People Of Lineup watched her pass;
people she had known for years spoke
to her and drew no response, not even
so much as a glance or nod. On past
the bank, the post office, the pool ROOM
/. s. On beyond all the stores, on
down to the depot
| There, on the platform, she stood a
long interval staring across the tracks
! to that short row Of house on Section
| Thirty Seven. The station agent came
out of the office and looked at EN- In
surprise.
"Hellol" he cried. "What brings you
down here before"
Homer" she cut in grimly, sin
which one of them nasty places does
this Lydia woman live?"
"Why-why Why, now should l
know?" he evaded as a red flush crept
up from his collar. 'Tn the one at this
end, i think. I'm not sure, Of course.
think she does, though. {.
She :"
But he no longer had listener.
Resolutely, slowly with something like
defiant majesty, the woman crossed the
tracks, with never another word to her
informant and never a look to right or
left. Her head was up, her mouth set,
| and her long nose wrinkled as II at