The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-10-30

"How about Dan Carlisle?" he
asked bluntly.
"Oh, Dan hasn't the money to-
play with their crowd" she said,
after a moment. "Of course, Nan
cy knows him."
give seen him here once or
twice." he assented scornfully. "He
seems a pleasant youngster; but l
can't imagine any man worth his
salt deliberately taking to teaching
as a profession"
"rve heard Professor Carlisle
lecture" she commented. Hes a
charming old mani"
mo doubt" the Doctor agreed in
dry tone; but he said then rough
~, impatient of indirection: "Yet
the Professors charm does not JUS
tify Nancy's imagining herself in
love with Dan!"
He saw her eyes widen, and rec
ognized that she had known about
Dan, and had wished him not to
know; and his face congested with
anger at the thought. She saw his
countenance in the mirror, and
turned pale; but she said nothing.
"You knew she was?" ne said
in a low voice, accusingly.
"Nancy's never spoken to me
about it, Ned she urged defensive
ly. give only-guessed. I've seen
no more than you. It's onlys that
I'm perhaps little closer to Nam
cy-understand her better"
"Closer?" he calculated, in a
rising wrath. .....
"Shes afraid of you, think,
Ned she confessed. "You do act,
sometimes, as though you owned
her, you know"
"Afraid of me?" His cheek was
purple. "Why should my daugh-
ter be afraid of me? I'm no ogre!"
"No, you're not" she assented
honestly. you've been generous
with Nancy, given her everything !;
and you're always calm, and kind.
But-you've always had your own
way. I've worried, sometimes,
about what you might be like if
things didn't go to suit you"
There were twisting snakes of
fury in the man. He tried to laugh.
"Is this some sudden discovery on
your part, Myra? This sinister side
of my character!"
She rose and came toward him.
''Ned dear, please" she said. "I'm
sorryl You're upset today, differ
ent." She smiled. II suppose all
| fathers are furious when they dis
/ cover that their daughters are be-
ginning to love some one else Some
other man. But you'll have to get
used to it, Ned. Nancy's a woman
now, you know"
She would have put her arms
around him, but he rebuffed her.
.Never mind that" he said sharp
ly. 81 came home this afternoon
and-found that Nancy had been
playing tennis with this young Car
isle. I asked her about it, and she
said she had played with Judith
didn't mention him. She lied to
mel"
She looked at MIN thoughtfully.
"You're so sure of things, some
times, Ned. Was Dan here when
you came? How can you be sure?"
"What difference does that
maker" he exclaimed, twitchlng at
his tie.
She returned to her dressing-ta-
BILE. "None, of course" she agreed
soothingly. "But for that matter,
Ned, what difference does it make
if Dan did play tennis with Nancy?"
II don't object to that" he re-
torted. II object to her lying to
mel"
She said wisely: "That is-sig.
nificant, of course. A girls instinct
to conceal, to be secretive, is one
of the first-symptoms." He saw
her smile wistfully, tenderly, at her
own thoughts. give realized for
some time that Nancy was thinking
a good deal about Dan," she adj
mitted.
He said fatty: SIT is not going
any farther. 1t is going to stop
right here"
"But why?" she protested
"Dan's a nice boy"
(TO BE CONTINUED