The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-02

fashion. "You aren't interested in
all this" he said alphabetically.
tive gotten into the habit of think
ing aloud to you."
81 know that" Jim said.
"It's meant a great deal to me to
have you here this summer. Mr..
Vaughn said. "Now if Cecily had
taken fancy to you"
''Would you have approved?"
Jim's slow smile discounted any
suggestion of flippancy or dis
respect.
Probably not" Mr.. Vaughn con-
fessed. II would probably have dis
charged you. But I could have I'M
derstood the attraction. This Jer-
ry, Jeremy-There's sort of sly
ness about him. He looks as
though he would slip out of any UNI
pleasant situation, save his own
pretty hide, no matter whom he
might hurt. That's prejudice, prob
ably. But that's my impression of
him."
Mr.. Vaughn was prejudiced, Jim
thought. Certainly he, Jim, was
prejudiced, too. Probably they both
imagined an evasive quality in Jer-
envy Clyde. Nothing that Jim could
put finger on in his infrequent
encounters with Cecily's guest after
the first meeting. Clyde was ami
able, devoted to Cecily, deferential
to Mr.. Vaughn, charming to Miss
Parker.
Jim resolved to keep away from
"Meadowbrook." In spite of Mrs.
MacPherson's protests, he carried
lunch to the riding academy and
returned to the estate for supper
at half past six. Usually, then, he
caught glimpse of Cecily and her
guest, walking about the grounds in
the half hour before the family din
ner at seven o'clock. Sometimes
Cecily hailed him, called him over
to them as gaily and naturally as
though the moment beside the foun-
tain had never existed. It had
meant so little to her, so terribly
much to him.
Jim, in the brief intervals of con-
tact with Cecily and Clyde, attempt
ed to maintain the same natural
gaiety and casual friendliness which
Cecily established. He found it diff
ficult, especially since he was usual
ly in his working clothes, grimy
and weary and needing a shave.
At such times, he resented Jere-
my's fresh fannels, his tubbed and
laundered look, his smoothly rip
pied hair. Jeremy's suave appear
ance reused primitive emotions in
Jim. He wanted to fight the fell
low, muss him up, snatch Cecily
and carry her away. He laughed
himself away from violence and
capture by force.
He resolved to keep away from
"Meadowbrook."
No amount of resolution, however,
could keep him from thinking of
Cecily, could prevent continued
conjecture concerning jeremy
Clyde. Too restless in the evening
to read or to play checkers with
Macpherson, too restless to sit on
the cottage veranda, listening,
through Mrs. MacPherson's CONVEX
sation, through the shrill piping of
tree toads in the orchard, for sounds
from the house, he fell into the
habit of driving the secondhand
roadster to the village, along the
country roads. Usually he stopped
in at the drugstore. Sometimes, if
closing time was near, Dolly con-
tinued to drive with him. More
often he only talked to her, drink
ing orangeade at the fountain, di-
verted, for a time, by her pert
gaiety.
One evening, when there were no
other customers in the store, she
leaned across the counter and asked
him a question.
"What's the matter, Mister?"
Matter"
care you rushing me or some
thing?"
"Why?"
you've been dropping in pretty
often"
81 have a secret passion for
orangeade."
"Apple-sauce!" She looked at him
shrewdly, her elbows propped on
the fountain, her chin resting on
her folded hands. "You look like
you did the first day you came in
here"
"How was that?" Jim tinkled the
ice in his glass.
'tSunk."
"Oh, yes. I was playing Ham
let"
"You aren't playing now. It's a
natural expression. The Vaughns
have company, haven't they?"
dolly" Jim said evenly, chow
well do you know him?"
Him" He saw that she regret
ted making the statement. Her ex-
preston, all at once, was too limo
cent, too bland. "You mean-Jerry
Clyde?"
"Miss Innocencei You know I do"
ooh, not very we'll" She aban-
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