The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-10-30
broken my statuettel See!"

broken my statuettel Seel"
Probably fell off the stand" he
suggested.
"Nonsense!" she cried indignant
ly. "a fall might have cracked it;
but it's just ground to bits. Lookl"
sit must have been an accident,
Myra," he urged impatiently. "Nev-
err mind that now. You can get
another. l want to talk to you'll"
He looked toward Ruth, and the
woman grimly disappeared.
Another" Mrs. Breeding cried
Indignantly. "Another indeed Ned,
don't you realize that works Of art
don't come by the dozen! That stat
ue was uniquel 1t was one of Pay
sons things, and he's practically
my discovery, and that would have
been priceless when he became
known. Anotherl Ned, sometimes
you're the most irritating mani"
Doctor Breeding fought to keep
his voice under control. The affair
of the statuette was disquieting
enough, certainly; but there were
other matters better worth discuss
ing. He managed a smile.
"rm sorry, Myra. Perhaps if you
substitute Payson sufficiently, he'll
do you a copy. I expect he'll be
glad of the commission"
"But he can't, Nedl Works OF
art"
Doctor Breeding said sharply:
"Tosh, Myra! Drop it, can't your"
"But it looks as though some one
had just pounded it and pounded
it," she urged, in an increasing
justification. ''It couldn't possibly
break all up that way just by fall
ing"
He said irascibly: "Will you be
still Forget the fool thing. 1t isn't
worth all this talk. surelyi"
She stared at him shrewdly.
"Ned, you've been drinkingl" she
cried. "I can always tell. Your
eyes are red. Whatever has hap
pened to upset you? 1t isn't like
you to come home and get drunk
and"
He cried in a deep evaporation:
"Stop it, Myra!"
She was, suddenly, pale. "Why,
of course, Ned" she sail placat-
ingly. ~ didn't mean She
seemed puzzled, incredulous. She
came to him, kissed him. I'm
sorry, Ned. l didn't mean to both
er you. Had hard day."
"No," he barked.
''Then you're worrying about one
of your patients.
He shook his head, patted her
shoulder roughly. mot at ALL" he
insisted. "I'm a little tired, moth
ing more" He released her, and
she turned back to the dressing-ta-
BILE. "We must dress now" she
said. ''We're dining at the Jor-
dams, you know"
Ruth told me-" he assented.
She began to undress. YOU'D
better hurry, or you'll be late" she
said.
He hesitated, but the time was in
fact short; and in such matters he
was punctilious. He went to his
own room, to the shower. But pres
emily, fitting his studs, he came to
the door between their rooms again,
and saw that she was brushing her
hair; he asked in a tone carefully
casual:
"Nancy going with us?"
"No," Mrs. Breeding told him.
"She's going somewhere with Jul
dith."
His collar pinched his neck as he
fumbled with the button; he made
wry face. mot alone, surely,
he protested. His tone was light,
amused. II don't suppose two girls
as pretty as Nancy and Judith are
likely to go anywhere alone"
II don't know" she admitted u
didn't ask! Ford Minick, maybe,
or Ethan, or Pete Master. or some
of that crowd"
''Nancy doesn't seem particularly
interested in any special young
man," he remarked. cor at least,
if she is, she conceals the fact
from the paternal eye"
Probably there will be, by and
BY" his wife agreed. "Nancy'l
tell us when she's ready"
The Doctor was conscious OF q
reservation in her words.