The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-03-26


ly stilled. Surely you can get
away for three or four days. I
should think you would need va
cation" Her enormous dark eyes
plead with him from under the shad-
owy brim of her hat.
81 had vacation for four years."
Jim said a trifie grirnly and then,
making an effort to appear politely
regretful, Get thee behind me, Sa-
tan! I have a job"
Kay turned her pleasantly plain,
becomingly tanned face toward the
accompanying gentleman. "You
see, Wally," she said with a ges-
ture of affectionate evaporation.
"He's as stubborn as a mule"
The gentleman's name was Beres-
ford. He was tall and incredibly
thin with indefinite feature5 and
pale blue eyes that popped slightly.
His hair, thinning above the tenn
pies, was of a silver fairness. He
looked, Jim thought, like cod
fish, an aristocratic Goldfish, of
course, pallid, limp, impeccably
dressed and groomed. Where had
Lenore acquired him? 1t made no
difference, really. It was merely a
passing thought.
Kay returned to the attack.
est will be a good party" she
said persuasively. "You know the
Warren place on the Eastern
shore"
NDorfaoflxy - T;y,, rapliod
"We've counted on you, JIM" Lee
nore's hand touched his arm. "We
wouldn't have accepted the invita-
ton if we hadn't thought we could
pick you up on the way"
"I'm sorry" Jim said, becoming
FESTIVE under the barrage Of per-
suasion. "I'd like a binge. But I
can't leave. I have a job. Have
mentioned it before?"
Kay pushed back her chair.
'If I stay here I'll probably
throw things" she said. II haven't
patience enough to cope with
mule. Come on, Wally, let's take
walk before I am arrested for
assault and battery. Not long
walk" she added, exchanging an
amused glance with Jim as the &C.
companying gentleman languidly
unfolded himself, joint by joint, like
a carpenters rule. 81 promise not
to be strenuous, darling" 4
Alone at the table under the
clipped catalpa' Lenore looked at
Jim.
"Hello!" she said. "Hello!" Jim
replied. He hadn't wanted to be
alone with Lenore. Kay had de-
liberately forced the situation. She
had put him on the spot. Oh, WE'LL
"Who is the codfish?" he asked.
Lenore stiffened.
"He is a very charming person."
she said, with the superior, humor-
less expression which Jim remem-
bered with distaste. 81 met him in
London last winter. He will be
duke when his father dies. The most
marvellous country estate. He's Wis
iting at Aunt Laura's."
"I'm sorry" Jim said. Might
as well apologize. He should have
remembered that Lenore was in
capable of humor directed at title
or celebrity.
Lenore relaxed. They made con-
versation for an interval, talking of
mutual friends, recalling shared ex-
periences, a wall between them,
recognized, unmentioned. Finally
Lenore drilled through the barrier.
"Jim," she asked not quite stead
lily, "why did you run away"
Jim considered.
81 didn't" he said, after a mo-
ment. Running away is premedi-
tated, isn't it? didn't plan the
thing. 1t happened. Impulse. Ex-
tenuating circumstances. Lunch at
a drugstore. A horseshoe"
"You must have been Desperate"
she said slowly. "You must have
been awfully fed up with-every-
thing"
II was" he said, serious now,
wanting to be honest.
She raised her head, looked at
him across the table. The glow of
the fading sunset illuminated her
face.
Fed up-with me?" she asked.
He knew what the question cost
her. A feeling of pity for her, of
regret for lost emotion, held him
silent for moment. She looked
older than he had remembered.
'Tell me, JIM" Her voice was in
sistent. There was pain in her
eyes, fear, humiliation. "Tell me,
darling-were you running away
from-me?"
If he could make her understand
without hurting her too badly. He
wanted to be honest with her. He
knew that was impossible. Pity
for her, the familiar necessity for
fiattery made him feel weary and
depressed.
'tIt was everything" he said
brusquely. "Sponging on Kay and
Vic. Having nothing of my own
Good God, Lenore! Can't you I'M
derstand?"
Her lips trembled. Jim felt like