The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-01-22
CHAPTER CONTINUED

CHAPTER CONTINUED
p
Tommy Complications were in
creasing. Jim realized the advisa-
bility of clearing himself at once.
''I'd be glad to take your message"
he said, "and you could rely on my
discretion. But I'm not going to
'Meadowbrook.'
The blue eyes widened. Jim
thought he detected about her
mouth a return of the scornful ex-
preston.
"You aren't afraid of him, are
your" she asked.
The words implied compliment.
Jim felt a little embarrassed. He
shouldn't have let her assume that
he was on his way to the Vaughn
estate. He shouldn't have encour-
aged her to talk of the family there.
She'd probably be offended.
''Oh no." he said, smiling shade
uneasily. "It's merely that-Well,
it's too hot to walk three miles"
"Walk!" she echoed. Jim read
in her incredulous expression the
thought running through her mind.
She probably presumed that he had
a fleet of Daimlers anchored at the
curling outside. Or Packard, at
least "a roadster, perhaps, with
leather upholstery and flock of
tricky gadgets.
81 came out on the train" he
said. "They weren't expecting me-"
He hoped she wouldn't refer to the
garage or the sedan placarded
TAXI.
She mentioned neither the taxi nor
the garage. After a moment of
thought she produced instead, an
original suggestion.
ST know!" Her voice was warm
with enthusiasm. ''We have some
things to send to Clarke's. Their
place is mile this side of Meadow
brook You can ride out with Her.
bert"
mo, thank you," Jim said hasti-
ly. "I'm taking the first train back
into town." He glanced at his
watch. "No, I'm not" he added in
an altered voice. ''I've missed that
one by Is minutes
Herb won't mind you riding with
him." She slipped down from the
stool and glanced at Jim with a
mischievous expression. "You could
walk q mile, couldn't your" she
asked. "You look as though you
could, ] mean you aren't a crippled"
II might manage mile" Jim
hesitated. "But I don't like to inn
pose"
Forget it! Herb likes company.
Wait just a second"
She disappeared through an open
ing in the rear partition of the
store and Jim heard, indistinctly, a
murmured conversation. His new
acquaintance, he thought, was a
capable young lady. He couldn't,
with decency, refuse her friendly
suggestion. Whatever his personal
inclinations might be, he was about
to visit ''Meadowbrook."
Why not go? Impulse pointed in
that direction. Personal inclination,
he had to admit, was in favor of
seeing the project through. But he
had forsworn impulses. He had re-
solved, less than an hour ago, to
have no further dealings with
treacherous inclinations. He was
going back to Long Island and ask
Lenore to marry him. Kay would
approve Fundamentally. Vic, her
husband, would give him his bless
ing and check. He and Lenore
would be married and live hap
well, live ever after.
Before he had time to cogitate
further, the girl reappeared, fol-
lowed by thin, dapper young man
with sandy hair and prominent
Adams apple.
Herbs ready" she said with
such pride in the success of her
suggestion that Jim's hesitancy
vanished.
"Thank you," he said, smiling,
and turned to the thin young man
with the sandy hair. 'It's good of
you to take me along. I'll appre-
ciate a lift"
Don't mention it," he said
brusquely. "Glad to do favor for
any friend of Dolly's."
She went with them to the door.
THANK you-Dolly," Jim said.
''Thank you for everything"
Her eyes crinkled merrily. She
smiled her wide gay smile.
$50 long, Mr.. Barrymore" she