The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-06-03

his eyes are!" Ned was thinking.)
"I'm going to turn in now, If you
don't mind. Goodnight, son."
Goodnight, Father"
AS Ned stood for a moment watch
ing the old man 60 upstairs, he real
ICED that the vibrancy, long absent
from his fathers voice, was back
again. His face too, looked differ
ent than it had an hour ago, extraor-
dinarily different. It's apathy had
given way to hope. Its harassed
lines seemed to be resting. 1t was,
for the first time in years, q peace
full face.
''He looks" thought Ned in a mo-
ment of rare intuition, "he looks like
man who has fought a good fight
and come out victorious"
It was well past the middle Of the
next afternoon when James LAM
bert found himself trudging along
highway in the state of Maine, with
Nora's postcard in his pocket, and
something akin to misgiving in his
heart. For how would she receive
her father after his long silence
his long neglect? James wondered.
and wondering, his subtle fear in
creased.
AS her card had limited might be
the case, he found the Ports one
taxi out of commission, and follow
ing those three-year-old instructions,
had taken a jogging, ope-man troll
ley to the end Of the route. After
a couple of giggling schoolgirls left
the car he was its only passenger;
and despite the familiar warning:
''Don't talk to the motorman,"
James went forward and spoke
through the little window.
"Do you know Mrs. Donald Ma
son who lives somewhere around
here?"
The mans face frightened.
"Sure do! Hold my car five min
utes for her every Sat'day night
when she goes down to rehearse
the choir, and ten every Sunday
mornin' when she goes to church.
AS I says to her: The Shore Line
Electric Railway company won't
never be any wiser, Mis- Mason,
and it don't need the extry time so
much as you do That's what I
said; and if the president Of the
company was to call me down for
runnin' off schedule, I'd keep right
! on dom it because the year my
wife died Mis- Mason made birth
day cake for my little girl. 1t had
fancy pink frostin' on it same as
the high priced ones she makes for
the summer folks, and five pink
candles all ready to light up. / dom
no how she knew when the kids
birthday was, but that's what she
done and I'd hold my car good
half hour if she was to ask me-"
$50 would l." said James. "And
you mean she plays the organ at
some church,"
"The Methodist Piscopal at the
Port. Gosh! that woman can play
to beat the band. Folks that never
set foot inside a church before, are
regular attendants since she took
over the music. Yes sir, she plays
like a breeze! She gives piano les
sons too; and makes bakery stuff to
sell durin' the season. She's smart
woman, Mis- Mason. You can tell
to hear her talk that she's got a
real good education; but she's COM
mon as own folks for all that-don't
high-hat no one. Here's the end O.
the line now. You just keep goin'
till you see their mail box. Names
right on it. It amt only a short
half mile and you can't miss it. Yes,
ocean side, only the house don't
show from the road. It's way in,
close to the dunes-made out of an
old barn they bought cheap. Terri
BILE cold place to live come winter,
seems though"
The conductor, his garrulous con-
versation and his trolley car, logged
out of sight, and feeling somewhat
lonesome, James started forward.
ITO BE CONTINUED