The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-03-18
CHAPTER V-Continued

Don answered, a curious dryness
in his throat: "Too hot to 60 out,
not to mention eating"
"I'll say it is! We had ours sent
in. But we're likely to get it hotter
come July. Father says they're
moving to the country on Monday.
You can't work without food, Ma
son. Better skip out and get bite.
His voice trailed off as he came
nearer. Now, pausing beside the
desk he lifted the newspaper and
stared down a while, utterly I'M
conscious of Don's tense attitude.
With maddening accuracy his lean
white finger found the elusive error.
you've made mistake there,
Mason" He might have been cor
recting some small boy. "That six
should have been a sixty. See?"
He sauntered idly to the window.
gazing down at the mass of swelter-
ing humanity below while Don sup
pressed a nurderous impulse to
throw him out. But Ned had turned
again-was speaking.
"See here, Don. There's some
thing I feel I ought to say to you"
The young man braced himself.
eff it's about my work, ! can save
you the trouble" he replied
brusquely. II know I'm a dumb
bell at this sort Of thing-always
will be. Suppose you keep those
comments for day when the mer-
cury's somewhere below one hum
dred. There are limits, you know,
to what even a cog in this ma
chine can endure without exploding;
and for your sisters sake I prefer to
keep my temper"
Ned sat down slowly on the win
dow ledge. He didn't speak for a
moment, and regarding him closely
Don wondered how many times that
morning the man had changed his
collar. The thought made him con-
scious of his own much wrinkled
linen trousers, and he slid his long
legs under the desk to hide them.
"You happen to be on the wrong
track" Ned replied. my comments
have nothing whatever to do with
your work here. You do as well
as most beginners, suppose. What
/ refer to is a different matter al
together. I've no desire to NEEDLE
with your private life, Mason. Get
that straight. But Father tells me
that Nora sends you home early;
and twice I've caught you nodding
by three o'clock. 1t stands to rea-
son that man who gets to bed
before midnight, ought to be able to
keep awake through the next day.
! can only surnise :"
"Well?" Don prodded, ominous
quiet in his voice.
81 can only surmise," repeated
Ned, ''that-wen to speak plainly,
that you don't 60 home after you
leave Nora"
II see," said Don. He was des-
perately angry, but making a brave
attempt to hold his temper. ''May
I ask where your active imagination
sees me passing the night hours?"
Ned flushed, looking hot, thought
Don, for the first time that sitting
day, though he answered calmly:
Sarcasm won't help, Mason, be-
cause as it happens. I've got the
goods on you. Do you understand"
''Most certainly do noti Make
yourself clear, please"
t'I'n be only too glad to-" Ned
spoke briskly, as if concluding some
successful business deal. II don't
like beating about the bush myself;
and you can't deny that you were
with another girl late Friday eve
ming, because I saw you"
1.-THE hell you did"
Don's eyes were blazing, while
seven thousand imps seemed to be
pounding the top of his head with
tiny hammers. Where, he was ask
ing himself frantically, had he been
on Friday? OF course there was no
.lea1ss9o AA n