The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-07-01
CHAPTER I-Continued

CHAPTER I-Continued
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"I'll have to admit" Brace said,
''that you played the game! But if
you're going to be so loyal, shouldn't
you be specially careful in choosing
your friends? Loyalty misplaced is
pretty treacherous."
Johnny always has behaved HIM
self before. don't care much for
cocktails and wild parties; but there
are certain things you do when
you're on the deb list, you know.
Mother wanted me to have one sea-
son of it," replied Barbara.
"Big dance at the Somerset, stag
lines, all that sort of thing?" His
tone was derisive.
"No, I just had luncheon at
home. Fathers and mothers
friends, and their families. Last
March"
"wen, there's some sense to
that"
She laughed family. 'Oh, we're
really a pretty sensible family" she
assured him. Perfectly respecta-
BILE, honestly" There was amuse-
ment in her tones. "Of course we're
in trade. Father and his father
and grandfather before him. Fruit
and things. Oranges from Florida
and all that. I suppose you profess
sors think business is a pity; but
at least we're wholesale. That's
something, isn't it?" ...s
He chuckled. Everything, I
should say" And she exclaimed tri-
umphantly, There, I knew you
could laugh if you tried!"
"But it seems such a waste Of
time for a girl to chase around to
drunken parties"
ooh, don't be so worthyl Besides,
it wasn't drunken party. Johnny's
foot slipped, that's ALL"
He said thoughtfully: 81 know his
kind; see them in class right along.
But I don't know the girls they run
around with. You're anew breed
to me-" He looked at her directly.
81 come from a small mid Western
town." he explained. "Folks were
church people. We didn't drink, or
dance much, or play cards. OF
course, I know the standards I
learned as a youngster are old-fash-
toned now. But-what have you put
in place of them? What are you
like? Girls your age, mean? Your
self, and the girls you know"
''We're a pretty decent lot" she
assured him. "The people ten years
older than us did run wild; but the
girls know don't drink too much,
and they're level-headed and re-
sponsible. My older sister works
every day in the hospital. She's 60
ing to marry a doctor and be a med
ical. missionary. Mother does lot
Of club work, things like that. We're
the sort Of family that doesn't get
into the society columns very much.
We don't telephone the editor every
time we have people to dinner. But
we're all right. Doing our jobs, be-
having ourselves"
She hesitated, laughed little. 'I
don't know why I'm telling you the
story of my life-except that / sort
of want you lowell, to not be so
sure I'm just a crazy kid"
He said: IT don't! did at first,
naturally; but I can see you're-not
as bad as I thought" He smiled. IT
suppose yours is what we think Of
as fine old Boston family Your
fathers turning at the next corner.
Shall ] follow him?'
'.Let him co." Barbara directed.
"We'H take the next turn. Yes,
suppose we are. / never thought
much about it. My sister and I do
the usual things. OF course my
brothers. in Yale instead of Har-
ward, but the Sentrys have been
Yale for a good many generations.
And mother and father
"By the way" the professor sug-
gested, 'twhy not tell your father
about this scrape tonight? I expect
he'd like to feel that he had your
confidence" a-S5 9-la ~
mo, he'd just rlisapprove and be
STERN" she said, He's always been
pretty strict with himself, and with
us too. He keeps telling me how
girls behaved when he was young!"
SIT wasn't a bad way to behave!''
She laughed. "I'n bet as many
girls were kissed in buggies then as
in automobiles now. Turn here. Our
house is two blocks ahead.v And
then she exclaimed: :.That must be
father just turning into our drive!
He drove awfully slowly, didn't
he? Switch off your lights. Stop in
the street, and wei II wait till he has
gone to bed" 0Sa u
They stopped in front of the
house, hidden behind q high hedge,
and Professor Brace stilled the en-
CINE. In the sudden silence they
heard steps on gravel. s''i 5o"rsra
Hes coming back from the ga
rage" she whispered; land mo-
nent later: '..ThereI He's opened
the front doorl" Light shone out,
then was dark as the door closed