The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-08-21

Jeb laughed again in his warming
way. "You would Did you wonder
If wanted you to stay1Hey, you p
he called to the boy. "Come closer
Catchl" And Jeb chucked a gold
piece which the boy caught, calling
out loud thanks.
"All through" Jeb dismissed him.
"Now, old top, are you going to stay?"
"Td like to, Jdd."
Anchor was up; and they were NOV
ing, with deceptive smoothness. out
Of the harbor on a limpid, lazy lake.
The brothers sat down to breakfast
opposite each other at the gay little
table at the forward end Of the dining
salon. Rod had learned that the
guests for the day would be picked up
at the Gleneiths'.
In the shining, perfectly appointed
galley, Imio was cooking, but stew
ard, new to Jud's staff, was serving
the table.
For the first time the splendor and
extravaganza Of jobs establishment
wrung a remark from his brother.
doesn't this all cost heap, JUDI"
"I'll tell you the truth, Rod" Jeb
confided. Expense doesn't make any
difference to me any more. Money
doesn't mean anything. / can make
whatever amount / want. That's an
absolute fact. A lot Of men are past
that point, Rod. The city-the cOun-
try-civilization's in a new era. We've
got the production problem complete
ly licked. :"
It was after breakfast when Rod
ney asked at last: "How is Agnes?"
"She's all right" his brother re-
turned.
"When are you marrying her, judi"
"When that damn trials over. That
was the rottenest piece of luck for
me. We were all set, Rod; we went
to that building to look over an apart
ment, when Agnes opened that
damned door, and"
Rodney, listening, sat still with diff
fculty; he held himself quiet by grip
ping tight the arms of his chair so as
not to betray, too clearly, the tumult
within him. He had had no idea, I'M
til just now, that Agnes was not his
brothers.
Ten people came aboard the boat
when 1t lay off the shore opposite the
Gleneiths': Agnes and her mother and
Beatrice and Davis and another young
married couple whom Rod had never
met. The others were paired, also;
but they were not married: two girls
whom Rodney vaguely remembered,
and two boys. whose names he knew.
They were pleasant, casual, unim-
questionable young people before whom
Rodney felt odd and old and awkward.
They looked him over, and their eyes
travelled to his brother, making COM
parison; but what they said to Rodney
was carefully polite.
They made no real difference to Rod.
Agnes was near him; and If he had
not known that his brother must have
failed to establish possession of her,
now he would have discerned it
though she plainly was supposed to be
paired with Jud.
She was in white, with bit Of blue
slashed in the cool silk which chung to
her as the boat made breeze; and
she cast off her hat and let the sun
burn her till Rodney drew her back
under the shade of the canvas over the
forward deck. They remained there
while the others stayed nowhere; and
after while, Rodney and Agnes were
alone far forward.
He did not talk much to her. What
had he to say? He sat In a striped
canvas chair close to hers, and felt
engulfed in a content which could not
continue, he knew, but which was COM
plete for the moment.
She looked at him and smiled, not
at him but with him, in his content;
and always. when they would lose