The Coolidge examiner., 1937-02-25

great formal house set in acres of
velvet lawn. The memory of Mrs.
MacPherson's spice cake gave him
a feeling OF nostalgia. There was a
sort Of preserve she used to make,
plum and orange together, spread
thickly on freshly baked bread. An
atmosphere of comfort and tart
good humor had been her natural
environment. She'd had the sharp
est tongue and the kindest heart in
the world.
MACPHERSON had taught him to
play an excellent game of chess.
He'd told rousing good stories, too,
and let him putter around the gar
dens with wheelbarrow and
spade. AS he grew older, how often
Macpherson had helped him out of
scrapes and, outwitting his Presby-
terian conscience, had whitewashed
the accusing evidence of some
youthful folly. The lectures the lean
sandy Scot had delivered privately!
Jim WINGED at recurring memories.
If he'd been spoiled, it wasn't the
fault of the MacPhersons.
They'd been fond of him and
proud of him. He had parted from
them with sincere emotion when the
crash came, when Uncle James and
Aunt Emily had gone to California
and mortgage company had taken
over Whitehall" He'd promised
to look them up. He hadn't, of
course. Not that he had forgotten
them. He'd been occupied with
the business of trying to find a job,
with singing for his supper, with
rediscovering Lenore.
The MacPhersons had meant to
| retire. He'd been surprised and a
little disturbed when, through his
uncle's lawyer, he had learned that
they were employed by people
named Vaughn T. H. Vaughn,
''Meadowbrook," Glendale. A card
from Mrs. Macpherson last Christ
mas had confirmed the information.
Dear jamie" she had written un-
der a lavish sprinkli~g of holly
sprigS and tinsel, Andy and 1 are
wishing you'd come to see u.s."
Jamie! No one except the MacPher-
sons called him that The name
woke sleeping memories. If he
could be Jamie" again
Sentimental idiot! The half-smile
touching Jim's lips widened into a
derisive grin. 1t was only that
Well, the weekend had been hu-
initiating. He'd been hurt and he
was running to the MacPhersonS
for sympathy and comfort. A damn
fool idea! He was ashamed of him.
self. To find them would be, at
best, only temporary anesthetic.
scarcely worth the pains of walking
three dusty miles.
He was through with misleading
| impulses. No more romantic whims.
He would take the first train back to
town, pick up his bags at the club
and go on to New York. Perhaps.
if he made close connections, he
would reach Roselyn in time for
Kay's party. At any rate, at the
| first opportune moment, he would
ask Lenore to marry him.
Jim lit cigarette. Mental per-
pleXities lulled for the moment. He
was conscious of physical discom-
fort. Hungry, that was it. He d
had nothing to eat since breakfast.
There must be restaurant, some
where in the village. He calculated
the depressing state of his finances.
Worse than he had anticipated. He d
had no business to play red-dog
with the Callenders last night. Such
dissipation was for the opulent.
Well, he could manage a milk-shake,
at least, and a drugstore sandwich
or two.
The timetable gave him half an
hour for refreshments. Jim left the
station and strobe off along the
main street of the village. Not much
of town, he thought, chain-stores,
a fish-market, an expensive looking