The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-12-11
CHAPTER vI-Continued

had ridden him hard, TILL he put on
grief like a seemly garment. But
at the end he came to sudden COM
prehension that he was loosed from
the letters that had bound him. His
bonds were brokenl He was I'M
trammeled, free!
In a high exultation the man
came back to the house at last.
He came straight across the island
through the Swallowed woods. Yet
if he had looked up, he might even
then have seen, through the foliage
above him, the unwinking stars.
Mrs. Breeding was buried in
Cambridge, on Tuesday, in the aft
ernoon. 1t was a hot, sunny July
day, with no breeze to stir the heavy
foliage OF the trees that shaded the
scene. Nancy would always re-
member, at some distance, the hiss
and murmur of cars passing along
the nearest street; the far whis-
per of the needless world.
Dan and Mary Ann and Profess
sor Carlisle and others were there.
Among them, Ira Terrell. Nancy
did not at first discover him; not
till they all turned away, and her
eyes cleared, and she could look
around. Then she saw him near
her father, saw him clasp Doctor
Greetings hand. When presently
she and her father we're in the car
again, Doctor Breeding said:
81 asked Mr.. Terrell to drop In
for a while, Nancy"
She nodded indifferently. They
came home together, and she went
for moment to her room. Doctor
Breeding stayed downstairs.
When she heard Terrell arrive,
heard their voices in the library.
she descended and appeared in the
open door, hated and ready to de-
part. Doctor Breeding looked up
in surprise
"Going out, Nancy? Best stay
with u.s."
She met Jerrell's eyes straight
forwardly and frankly. 81 won't be
gone long," she said. you've Mr..
Terrell for company"
She took the little roadster and
drove rapidly, as though anxious
to make her escape before some
thing happened to detain her. s
She was strongly drawn toward
Dan-she felt this deep attraction
more keenly than ever before; but
also she was thrust toward him by
some force behind her, by some
thing intangible which her instinct
had discovered in her fathers mind.
In his grief and loss she should
have been drawn toward him to
comfort him; but she recognized,
honestly, that there was in her no
genuine solicitude for him. Rather,
her instinct babe her avoid him,
avoid the neighborhood of his in
fiuence and control.
She found Mary Ann and Dan
together, and Dan kissed her, and
Mary Ann too. But Mary Ann, with
a wise understanding, said smiling
ly:
"Take him away somewhere,
Nancy. You don't want me around,
you two; and I've nowhere to 60,
and people may come in. Go along
with you"
Nancy nodded. "Yes, I do want
to be with Dan," she said.
Once they were alone, she was
for the moment content; and with
out speaking, she drove out through
Watertown and Waltham toward
Lincoln.
He said, later: 81 suppose you
and your father will go back to the
Lake soon.''
''Not right away" she told him.
81 won't go till he can. ! wouldn't
want to be there alone. Not with
Mother-down here" Her tones
were husky; she said: 'Father
starts his vacation next weekend.
He may want me to 60 away some
where with him; or he may want
just to 60 to the Lake. He loves it
there. I'll do whatever he wants."
Dan nodded. cts grand place."
ne aSSented.
eff we 60 up there, Dan," she
decided, suddenly near panic at the
thought of being alone with her IA
Their, s'you must come up. ! can't
be alone with him. I'll miss Moth
er so."' a.t4 ~
He said doubtfully: '.I've had
about all the vacation ] ought to
take" M
''I'n need you dreadfully. Dan."
she said, and he cried:
"God knows IN need you. Nam
cyl Alwaysl'
She turned off the highroad into
a byway; the road degenerated till
there were only wheel-ruts in the
sand. They passed through an oak
wood which closed like a screen
behind them. and she stopped the
car at last on a turfed slope, fra
grant in the slanting sun. Below
lay the marshes and the meander-
ing river, and far away the wooded
hills rose gently.
Nancy stopped the engine, and
looked at Dan; and he leaned to-
ward her, held her for a moment