The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-03-05

| wheel" And taking his acquleS-
cence for granted she moved over
from under the steering wheel.
Jim opened the door and took
the place she had vacated.
"You don't sound very-clubby,"
she said. "Are you hungry or
sleepy or anything?"
"No."
"That's good. / want to talk"
"But why to me?"
"Oh, enemies intrigue me. May
have a cigarette?"
Jim supplied a cigarette and a
light. In the flare of the match he
saw distinctly the golden lights in
her eyes. His hands were aware
of her. He ficked the match into
the drive.
"Thank you" She made herself
comfortable again. "Did you have
pleasant EVENING""
Every pleasant"
"Dutch's is fun. Good orchestra.
I didn't know that the girl in the
drugstore was a friend of yours"
"She's a nice kid" he said.
SOOO ooliSCl'
'T'm sure she is" Cecily's voice
was silken. 81 meant no dispar-
agement. You needn't get out your
duelling pistols"
He deserved that, Jim thought.
He needn't have defended Dolly so
vigorously.
"Jim," she said, breaking a
lengthening silence. ''Will you do
something for me?"
'I'm afraid I can't" he said
briefly. He'd thought that to put
her in her place would give him
great deal of pleasure and satisfac-
ton. It wasn't working out that
way. He felt little embarrassed,
instead. He'd sounded like a prig.
''It isn't what you think" she as
sured him. II don't care if you tell
Father that l was with Jerry to-
night. That isn't important. Fa-
Their knows how I feel about Jerry.
What I want you to do for me is
important"
Jim continued silent.
II mean, will you hear my side
of the story?" she continued, in
earnest now, the bantering tone
gone out of her voice. Given if
we are enemies-Let's call it
courtroom confession. The pris-
oner at the bar has right to be
heard, hasn't he? You know only
Fathers side. Jin," she said, sit
isn't infatuation. I'm awfully in
love with jerry"
He hadn't expected statement
so simple and sincere. He hadn't
expected directness from Cecily.
This frank appeal to his sympa-
thies was more devastating than
cajolery or tricks.
Fathers so pig-headed," she
went on. "He is, Jim. He's as
obstinate as mule"
"That doesn't mean I'm not fond
of Father" she continued. 81 am
fond of him and proud of him.
But he is pig-headed. l think it's
stupid to be fond of people blindly,
to admire your father just because
he is your father, if he isn't an adj
| mirable person. 1t doesn't make
you love people less to know their
weaknesses. Sometimes it makes
you love them more.
eff Mother had lived it would
have been different" she went on,
after moment. Father adored
her. After she died he did nothing
but work. We've never known him
until this summer. He doesn't know
us at all. He's never paid any
particular attention to us, except
to blow us up when he couldn't
avoid the ISSUE"
She paused, turned to him with
an apologize smile. "Am boring
you unbearably? Tell me if am.
That wouldn't be a tactful approach
to request"
"You aren't boring me-" Jim as
sured her. "I'm interested"
"You see," she went on present
1y, 81 want to do something with
my life. I found that out the win
ter I was a debutante. It was fun
at first but I got awfully bored. I
wanted to do something. I told you
once that I'm the tortoise-shell cat
who thought she was lion. look
like somebody who does interesting
things, at least to myself I do, and
I'm always sure that I'm going to
be a shining success. But I have
no particular talents"
"One," Jim said. "You dance
beautifully. And one other, at least,
you play a swell game of tennis"
"But-I don't do either well
enough" she replied. II wanted
to be terribly interested in some
thing. l was getting discouraged,
and then / met Jerry" Her voice
caressed the name. IT found Jer-
ry," she went on, land found my
self. I knew that Jerry was my
job. Jerry has more than touch
of genius. But he needs ire
mendous amount of encouragement
and sympathy and understanding"
''How old are you, Cecily?" Jim
asked, moved by her sincerity,
vaguely alarmed for her, unaware
that he was asking her personal
4 l. 4