The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-11-20

feel bound TO step into the Dack-
ground and give Terrell clear
field. I don't want him to do that.
want Nancy to make up her own
mind, freely, between them"
II know Dan feels he-isn't good
enough for Nancy" she admitted,
and added loyalty: PERSONALLY, I
think she's lucky to get him. Dams
a peach!" She looked at him, sur
prised. "But / didn't know you
knew about them?" she said.
II have Nancy's confidence" he
retorted; and she nodded. He con-
tinued: ''Did / take the right atti-
tude? Would you have said the
same? Do you feel that-a girl
makes a mistake to marry a man
twenty years her senior?"
She was silent for longer than he
liked. He looked at her, smiling.
"Tell the TRUTH" he insisted.
"Not if she loves him." said Mary
Ann at last. She added, almost
reluctantly: ''Not if there is no
reason why she shouldn't love
him." And after a moment she re-
marked, half to herself: "Some-
times a girl is wiser to choose
proved man. Then she knows what
she is getting. Young men may
change as they-mature."
He laughed in a sudden swift de-
light; but when she asked why he
laughed, he would not tell her. ST.
lence embraced them again, draw
ing them together; the car ran
smoothly. The moon now was low;
and Doctor Greetings eyes fixed
upon the flowing road in a sort of
fascination. He drove automatically,
his thoughts elsewhere.
1t may have been that for a mo-
ment he slept. But at a certain
point where the road forked and
their way lay to the left, he kept
straight ahead; and where just be-
yond the fork, this right-hand road
turned, he did not turn. The car
plunged through shallow ditch and
into the meadow beyond. His foot
jammed home on the brakes, and
he came to a GREATNESS stop,
thrown forward against the wheel.
Mary Ann in heap on the floor of
the car beside him.
He was in dismay. care you
hurt?" he exclaimed. "I'm sorryl
I must have gone to sleep!"
She scrambled up on the seat
again. 81 don't think So" she de-
clared, laughing. "No, seem to be
all here. My eyes were closed.
had no warning"
II must have gone to Sleep" he
repeated.
She touched his hand, on the
wheel. "You're so desperately
tired" she said gently. His blood,
at the touch of her fingers raced
through his veins. "Let me drive.
I'm awake now"
He looked at her hand on his, at
her. "I'm not tired" he said huski-
ly, breathlessly.
She withdrew her hand, abrupt
ly; but his eyes held hers. He
thought that even in the moonlight
he could see her cheeks flaming.
Then she spoke defensively, laugh
ing, her head high. "Give me the
Wheel" she insisted. "You men
are all idiots-don't know when
you're tired. Comet"
He did not trust his voice. With
out speaking, he got out of the car
and went around to take the other
seat. She backed into the road
again.
''Now shut your eyes and do go
to Sleep" she commanded.
He obeyed her; he cid shut his
eyes. But he did not sleep. 1t
seemed to him he had never been
81 wide awake before. There may
be in the mere circumstance of
sharing together even a passing
peril something mystic and compel
ling in it's effect on man and wom-
an. For a moment, it might have
happened that he and Mary Ann
would die together; it seemed to
him now that after that moment,
their two lives could never take
completely separate ways again.
But if Mary Ann had any such
thought or feeling, she did not be-
tray it. Somehow she found the
proper road again; somehow she
brought them back to Cambridge.
For all that time he neither spoke
nor opened his eyes; but his
thoughts were a millrace. Only
when she stopped the car did he
rouse from his abstraction.
"Can you manage the rest Of the
way alone?" she asked lightly then.
"Or shall I take you home and
tuck you int"
They were, he saw. at her IA
theirs door.
81 can manage, of course" he as
sured her. She alighted: and he
got to the ground, and extended his
hand.
"Thanks for taking care Of me-"
he said. "I needed some one" Her
hand was in his. Anything might
have happened" he confessed.
"But nothing did" she remind
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