The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-02-05

but exacting superior and showed
Jim no favoritism beyond sympa-
thetic patience with his blunders
and an occasional word of encour-
agement.
You're learning, lad," he said
one afternoon, inspecting with APP
prevail the transplanted tulips.
But there were countless difficult
ties. MacPherson's authority, I'M
fortunately, stopped short at the
house and 1t was with the domestic
arrangements that Jim was largely
concerned. Life in the rambling
stone house presented a marked
contrast to the ordered routine of
the farm.
Miss Parker, he learned, was,
technically, Susan's governess. She
was, at the moment, acting as
housekeeper as well. She did her
best to keep things running smooth
ly but her best was far from ade-
quate. Tommy was difficult. Susan
was a grubby little savage. Nora,
the cook, disliked the country. Rose,
the maid, a girl from the village
engaged for the summer, was in
volved in a Irritation with one of
the farmers assistants and careless
about her work Miss Jones, the
trained nurse, was supercilious and
sensitive and demanded a great
deal of service.
1t was into this maelstrom of con-
flicting personalities that MacPher-
son delivered Jim. Nora summed
up his dilemma the first time he
entered the kitchen with basket of
vegetables from the garden.
$50 you're the new man." she
said, her bright blue eyes regard
ing him with interest and sort of
acid compassion. "Well, the Lord
have mercy on you'll"
He soon discovered that Nora,
with reason, had invoked Divine as
sistance in his behalf.
"Nice people!" he remarked, talk
ing over his first day on the job
with the MacPhersons at supper. II
feel as though I've been in a night
mare most of the afternoon. Miss
Parker gave me the marketing list
so late that when I got back from
the village the cook hadn't time to
do the roast and was obliged to re-
sort to salmon salad which, accord
ing to her own sworn statement,
gives the nurse indigestion"
II should think sol" Mrs. Mac
Pherson remarked, serving stewed
chicken and durnplings with an air
of complacency not unmixed with
scorn. Salmon out of cant"
1.-THE cook threatened to leave,
of course Jim continued, land
was pacifed only when Miss Parker
made me promise to drive her in to
the movies tonight.
Susan fell off the roof of the
barn. Jim continued between
soothing attacks on the dumplings.
Tommy had an accident with the
station-wagon last night. Are such
things daily occurrences or were
they arranged especially to make
me feel at nome
"They want taking in hand" Mrs.
Macpherson said crisply, obviously
referring to the Vaughns. ''Disci-
plinel That Miss Parker is no more
than fly in hail-storm!"
MACPHERSON made no attempt to
deny the statement. The CONVEX
sation veered, momentarily, from
the Vaughns. Half way through the
cherry cobbler, however, Jim asked
question.
isn't there another Vaughn?" he
inquired casually. 81 thought you
mentioned an older daughter"
Macpherson glanced at him
quickly but Jim, with a bland and
innocent expression, was pouring
cream on the cobbler.
"Cecily," Mrs. Macpherson re-
piled. "She's visiting friends"
"You see!" Macpherson appealed
to Jim. "Sees all: knows all. Where
is Miss Cecily, Bessie?"
cape May" Mrs. Macpherson
snapped, justifying her husbands
humorously expressed opinion of his
wife. ''It's house-party," she add
ed.
The house-party at Cape May ex-
tended well into Jim's second week
at "Meadowbrook." The girl he had
met in the drive was Cecily. He
was sure of that. There were pho
tographs of her scattered about the
lower floor of the house.
The painting above the fireplace
was more vivid. The artist had cap
tured suggestion of her coloring,
the apricot bloom of her skin, her
sherry colored eyes, her bright
curling hair. But the artist had CIV
en- her a gentle dreamy expression.
Gentle expressions were charming,
no doubt, and indicated pleasant
disposition, but Jim, when he
glanced at the portrait, recalled the
scornful CLINT in the red-brown eyes,
the arrogant tilt of the rounded chin.
The house-party was break for
him, Jim reflected. If Cecily had
dicoOvorod him 6I1ipo xryoOd-bov,oc