The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-02-19

Wnen Ola speak OF ner Jill
asked, frankly puzzled.
Mrs. MACPHERSON supplied the in
formation.
''One day when / was talking
about Miss Cecily," she said.
"Don't you remember? You said
she walked like this actress or
moved her hands or something"
Jim remembered. He remem-
bered, also, that he had observed
to Mrs. Macpherson that. Cecily's
eyes were the color of benedictine.
The observation had been jokingly
made in the light of a great dis
covery. He'd thought they were
sherry-colored.
But how could Cecily have known?
His unspoken question was an
swered at once, for Mrs. MacPher-
son added:
"Susan asked me what benedic-
tine was. / told her it was kind
of drink. She wanted to know what
it was made of. The questions that
child can ask!"
The matter was explained. Susan
had been at the cottage, then. She'd
been sitting on the kitchen steps
eating bread and jam. She had re-
peated the conversation to Cecily.
That was why Cecily had ap-
preached him in the garden. The
conversation, no doubt, had been
repeated in highly fattering light.
The thought that he, too, was in
fatuated, a willing slave to her
charms. He was neither one nor
the other. She had misjudged him
entirely. She'd find that out the
first time she asked a favor of him.
He did not like her. He did not
like her at all.
He entertained, for a time, muir
derous thoughts of Susan. He had
never considered her a menace in
connection with himself, though he
knew very well that Susan, too, was
observing and not indisposed to re-
veal the results of her private in
vestigations at embarrassing mo-
ments. Recalling the evening that
he had spoken lightly, jestingly, to
Mrs. Macpherson of the color of
Cecily's eyes, he had a disturbing
mental vision of Susan, untidy as
usual, bare footed and grubby,
calmly munching bread and jam on
the steps outside the kitchen. Little
monkey! She'd put him on the spot.
What could he do about it?
There was nothing that he could
do. He wondered, as the humorous
side of the situation appeared to him,
whether the conversation which she
had overheard had anything to do
with Susan's altered attitude. She
had, after his first few days at
"Meadowbrook," attached herself
to him with the tenacity of bur-
dock. If he worked in the garden,
she was there, turning cartwheels
along the paths, sitting beside him
as he pruned and weeded and dug.
When he drove to the village with
the marketing list, she begged to be
taken along. All day, except for
the period he spent in the morning
with Mr.. Vaughn, wherever he was,
there, too, was Susan, usually silent,
but at times bursting with ques-
tons and observations.
Her continued presence had dis
concerted him at first. Gradually,
| however, he became accustomed to
the small tagging shadow. He had,
surprisingly, grown fond of her and,
unconsciously, sided with her in diff
ficulties with the family.
But Susan's attitude had changed.
During the week preceding Jim's
interview with Cecily in the garden,
she had avoided him. He missed
her and wondered if he had, in
advertently, offended her. He made
friendly overtures. She snubbed or
lodged them repeatedly. She was
constantly in hot water. Her imp
ish perversity played havoc with
the household.
Jim came upon the termination OF
a family disturbance one morning
just before luncheon. He walked
around the side of the hou S e
equipped with clippers for the pur-
pose of trimming the low box hedge
which bordered the terrace. The
terrace was the scene of a dis
turbance. Susan, the culprit, lay
fiat on her stomach, her bare toes
kicking the fag-stones, her face
buried in her arms.
Mr.. Vaughn, Miss Parker and
Cecily were in the act of dispensing
as Jim appeared, obviously routed
by the small sobbing figure on the
fiag-stones. Mr.. Vaughn looked an
noyed and helpless. Miss Parker
was pink and distressed. Cecily,
coolly aloof in a frock of lettuce
green linen, wore a disdainful ex-
preston. Rose, standing at the
door, had, apparently, just an
nounced luncheon.
Miss Parker glanced at Jim and
made an attempt at composure.
She bent over Susan.
"You must stop this" she said
pleadingly. Luncheon is ready,
dear"
Susan kicked rebelliously.
81 won't!" she cried. "You let