The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-02-25

father, to understand or even make
allowances. His whole world was
the well-ordered world of the sue
cessful business man. His horizon
was bounded by city streets. What
more should one ask of life than a
steady job and a salary which sup
ported in comfort those one loved?
was his sole argument. He saw no
other. He could not comprehend
what such an existence meant to
Don, nor dirnly vision that call of
the Gypsy trail which tugged at
the young mans heart, leading him
onward, making of life a glorious
adventure.
So the girl grew more thoughtful,
more quiet in the days that followed.
Don said: you've lost your pep,
darling. What's happened?" and
Nora laughed at him. But when her
father questioned her one evening, a
night when Don, pleading a dull
head, had gone home early, she
made no effort to evade the an
swer. He said: Something's up
set you lately. What's the matter,
child?"
"Life," said Nora.
James smiled.
"What's wrong with life, dear?"
"What's right?" countered the
girl, struggling.
Her fathers eyes grew puzzled as
he regarded her.
''Have you and Don been quarrel
ing?" he asked.
Nora laughed softly.
''It would be hard work to pick a
fight with Don," she answered. mo,
we haven't quarreled; but-I'm wor-
ried about him, Dad"
"There's nothing to worry about,
my dear. Things are not going bad
ly. I'll make business man of Don
Mason yet, Nora, if you'll give me
time"
you'll make a corpse of him
more likely" the girl retorted with
so much bitterness in her voice that
James raised his head, looking at
her in blank amazement.
''What do you mean?"
81 mean that all his nerves are
raw-on edge, Dad"
"Nerves!" The contempt in her
fathers exclamation cut Leonora to
the quick.
James said, after a tense silence:
''See here, Nora, it's absurd to think
that a year in a well ventilated,
modern Office can cause a break
down such as you hint at. That
young man is, was anyway, the pic
ture of health. If there's anything
bothering him now it must be, as
you say, a case of nerves, which
seems, to my mind, almost non
sensical. If he'll make an attempt
to pull himself together-get the
best of the trouble instead of dwell
ing on it"
Dwelling on i'll" broke in Nora
with indignation. "Why he's never
mentioned it! But I'm not blind,
Dad, and the signs are there for
anyone to read. I think you ought
to call time up don't your"
''Time up?"
81 mean it, Father. This simply
can't 60 on. Don's lived in the open
since he was eighteen. Office life
stiles him; and Ned -
She paused, while her father OBJ
served gravely: "We'n leave Ned
out of this discussion, if you don't
mind"
''How can WEI" the girl demand
ed with intrinsic honesty. ''Ned's
half the trouble. He makes Don
frantic, bouncing on him unexpect-
edly-watching everything he does
shopping"
"That's both insulting and UNI
just" James interrupted angrily.
''Ned means to be helpful. If his
methods are upsetting to this young
man it's not your brothers fault,
Nora, but his own. And considering
that-that-"
"That Ned would welcome an ex-
cuse to throw Don out the door,"
finished Leonora. Then, as her ia
Their snorted, she went on: "Now
don't explode, Dad. It gets us no
where, besides being bad for you.
Perhaps I have no right to ask a
favor anyway, but I'm asking one
now: II you've any love at all for
me, darling, and I know you have.
I ask you to show it by putting an
end to this experiment.
But James was obdurate. He was
also angry.
81 gave him year, Nora. I don't
like a gutter"
Two red spots famed like twin
banners on Nora's cheeks.
.That's not just, Father. Don's
never suggested giving up. But
there's something in him that you
and Ned can't understand, I sup
pose. He's not impatient, Dad. ]
think he scorns himself a little for
chatting at things which other men
accept so naturally. And that's bad
for him too. Don't you see, Father,
it's like whipping tired horse to
keep a man of Don's sort tied to a
ledger. It stiles him. And ! warn
you now that rather than see his
spirit-the thing I love about him,