The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-30
Blu Ida LARRlMORE
g Ida Larrimore.
WNU Service.

ooh, come now" Jim says coax
ingly. "They can't have the we'd
ding without you. Think how dis
appointed the bride and groom will
be and all the people"
"Im afraid, while I'm gone,
they'll come and take you away"
Nonsense! I'll be here when you
get back"
TRULY" she asked.
Certainly. I'm going to the cot
tage and sleep for day and a half.
Will you bring me some wedding
cake?"
She nodded. 'Did they put hand
cuffs on you," she asked, "like in
the movies?"
''No. They treated me very po-
litely. Where is Tommy"
Hes out on the front lawn writ
ing a letter. He told me to go away
so / think it's to a girl. don't
care if they do put you in jail,"
she cried vehemently. "I'll like you
just the same. do like you aw-
fully, JIM"
you're a pal," Jim said gently.
"But you must go to the wedding.
Go up and take a nap. The we'd
ding isn't until six. You'll have
time enough. / want to see Tom
my"
Susan went off toward the house,
pausing on the veranda steps to
call back to Jim. "Can l come to
the cottage after the wedding" she
asked, land bring you some cake?"
''Pll probably be sleeping. You
can put it under my pillow" He
smiled and waved his hand.
The smile vanished as Jim walked
on around the side of the house. His
prospective interview with Tommy
was no smiling matter.
Tommy was writing at a card
table set up under the purple beech
at the far end of the lawn. He
glanced up as Jim approached, his
face lighting with interest and ex-
citement.
"Hi!' he called, knocking a box
of stationery off the table in the
colt-like exuberance of his welcome.
''They let you out all right, didn't
they? I knew Dad could fix it. I
knew that even state cops can't put
anything over on Dad"
Jim was amazed. He had expect
ed to find Tommy either terrified
and evasive or dramatically re-
morseful and tragic.
Tommy" he asked gravely, "did
you take Cecily's car last night?"
The question, obviously, had a
staggering effect.
t'Did take it?" he asked. "You
mean did I-?"
Exactly" Jim continued. "Did
you take Dolly driving last night in
Cecily's carr"
''Me? Gosh no, Jim" In Tom
my's startled countenance amaze
ment and passionate protest were
convincingly blended. 81 didn't
know anything about what happened
last night until Cecily told us this
morning. Gosh, Jim, did you think
I ran off and left her when she
was hurt? I mean you'd have to
have thought that if you thought I
did it. Nobody would be as low as
that. Nobody would"
Somebody did," Jim said.
"Where were you last night?"
Tommy's expression altered. He
slumped down in the chair at the
table.
"Oh just around" he said, dis
playing, for the first time, a sugges-
ton of the evasion which Jim had
expected.
"This is important" Jim said
sternly. you've got to tell me-"
81 had a date" Tommy num-
bled and then in tone of justified
indignation, "What's the idea of rib
bling me?" he asked. Haven't I
got right to have a date if /
want to?"
"You're concealing something"
Jim said sternly.
Tommy flushed. "Well, if you've
got to know" he said, 81 had a
date with the girl who's visiting
Betty Beach,"
Jim was relieved.
"Why did you try to make a mys-
terry of that?" he asked.
Tommy's hands fidgeted with OBJ
jects on the table.
81 took her out in the PIERCE"
he said. Nov, 1 suppose you'll
have to tell Dad. What does he ex-
pect? I can't take smooth num-
Der like Carol out in the station
wagon. l suppose you'll consider it
your sacred duty to tell Dad,
though" he added expectantly.
cat the moment" Jim said wear
lily, "your taking the Pierce seems
relatively unimportant."
Tommy frightened.
"She's smooth number" he said
dreamily. "She went home this
morning."
Sand you're writing to her al
ready?"
"Well, I thought I'd better sign
her up for the Thanksgiving dance
at school. She has lots of dates"
Jim sighed and smiled, amused