The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-06-05

sometimes ''talked to- Rogna. Never
to soul would Rogna repeat a word
Of 1t.
Mothers returned% Agnes asked
her.
"Oh, yes Mr. Braddon just phoned."
Agnes started. Rod? Was he re-
turning?
"Mr. Judson Braddon," Rogna said.
"What did he say?"
He is coming out He did not in
quire whether or not you would be in,
Miss Agnes; he said to tell you he
was coming out He will drive"
Twenty miles through this snowl
thought Agnes. Jeb would.
"Also Mr.. Gleneith has returned to
the city. He will be home on his
train"
Mother! thought Agnes.
do you require me, Miss AgnesT
mo. Look after Mother, Rogna."
''Oh, will"
The two girls gazed at each other,
both knowing. There was no sense
whatever in Agnes pretending before
Rogna. "She mustn't use rouge, Rog-
ma. Don't let her. lit doesn't be-
come her; and 1t won't do her any
good!"
Lying in the deep, warm water in
her bath of palely tinted porcelain,
Agnes shut her eyes and saw, not Rod
on his train travelling away from her,
but Jeb forcing his car toward her
through the snow. She could see him
strain and laugh and swear when he
skidded, but come on, on, on to her,
whatever tried to hold him. Even in
her imaginings, he stirred her. Come
on. Jeb! Oh, come onl
"Rod-dear, dreaming Rod. I'd like
to love you! I would; but don't"
And he hadn't So much as let her
say 1t.
1t wasn't the fact that Jeb was max
ing money, and Rod nearly none, that
widened the difference between them.
For Rod was right about It.; money
did not rule desire.
Money might be one Of the factors
that destroyed 1t. Money-or at least
the epoch Of their marriage In which
the most money had come-was sep
arating her mother and father.
Before a mirror on the other side
| of that wall between their rooms, her
mother frantically was trying to make
herself more attractive to Father. and
to look younger. But Rogna
would watch the rouge. Rogna would
not let Mother look ridiculous to Fa-
| Their when he came home-ridiculOus
| to Father, who used to kiss her when
they Rugged Agnes between them in
the big bed of the house where Moth
er had been a bride.
Oh, what was lovee
At last Father came. Baskerville, the
huge boar hound, had affectlonately
knocked his hat off, and he carried 1t
crumpled Cravath, the butler. had
opened the door.
"'D evening, Cravath. Hello,
Light One!'
That meant her and no one else. AL
ways, as long as she could remember,
1t had been Fathers greeting. Light
| One! Dark Onel His two daughters
his two babies, once. Beatrice al
ways had been dark. like Mamma; Ag-
mes light, like himself.
Ozark One Light Onei Dark One |!
Light One!" he used to accent in
rhythm as he tossed and caught his
| children In turn before he kissed them
Dark Onei Light One land shooed
them away.
| He bent and kissed Agnes now, care
full to keep his snowiness from her
dress. "Hello. Light Onel" he re-
peated. "How's Dark Oner'
"Oh, she's fine, Fatherl"
"How're the busters3"
"Father. they're wonderfulr
"Good. Where's your motherI Int.
"Yes, Father: she's in."
| "Good."
Cravath had taken his things and
disappeared. leaving father and daugh-
ter alone before the fire. Agnes liked
to have him linger with her. but the
LuOuSHC Va u6E mOLH6r, WdlLluB IOK
him, tortured her. There had been q
time when, II she had not met him
at the door, he would have leaped up
the stairs. two steps at time, to find
what was the matter.
Now he stood, back to the fire, with
out Impotence. he had been away
for a week in New York City; and
his daughter. swept az she was with
affection for him, and with pride in
him. and with gladness in all her MEM
cries, could not down disturbing
doubts. What had he "done" in New
York during seven days - and eve
nings and nightsf
He was full OF feeling: and how
good-looking he was! You could not
possibly think Of him as q GRANDPA
Their.
He was now within two years Of
fifty, and he didn't appear forty. He
honestly didn't.
His hair was an youthful as Agnes