The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-07-21
CHAPTER 1

are hard to move. But opJectS III
motion may by the least force be
diverted, and their whole future
course thus changed. It is so with
lives; for life is motion, and this is
particularly true in youth. A young
mans most casual encounter may
modify his whole life thereafter, in
splendid or in dreadful ways.
It was Mabel Gage who performed
this function for Clint Jervies. Ma
bel was of no least Importance in
Clint's eyes. He had never met her
till Enid Mason's dance at the SOM
erset, and he saw with some dis
taste upon their first encounter that
Mabel had had little too much to
drink. But the yolmgster who was
her escort for the evening was in
worse case than she, and in no con-
dition to drive car; so little be-
fore midnight Clint, who had on this
occasion no feminine responsibilities
of his own, volunteered to take Ma
bel safely home, and had Ends
thanks for that consideration.
When he and Mabel emerged from
the hotel, it was raining, gusty
squalls with an occasional roll of
thunder; and Mabel lived dozen
or fifteen miles out of Boston along
the Providence road, so that the
drive was long one. AS soon as
they were in the car, she went to
sleep and stayed asleep till Clint
reused her to direct him through the
last stages of the journey. When
they reached her door, she urged
him to come in, and when he de-
clined this invitation, she insisted
on being kissed good night.
Clint thus far obliged her; but he
said at once afterward: "I'll have
to run along now. There's some
construction on the road. I had to
detour, coming out. It will take me
an hour to get back to town.
ooh, you don't have to hurry"
she pleaded. "You can dodge all
that by going over Kenesaw HILL"
And to his questions, she gave
him directions how to find this by
way. At certain trafic-light he
must turn to the right He nod
lded his understanding, but good
humoredly insisted on departing.
She stood in the open doorway still
pleading, while he got into the car
at the foot of the steps; but when
she saw that he was bound to co..
she called softly:
"Well, good night! And thanks
lot! You were a peach to bring me
home. Telephone me tomorrow"
ssSure WILL" Clint promised. I'll
be seeing you.'
He was perfectly sincere in this
promise; but as a matter of fact
it was more than two years before
he saw her again, and he had by
that time completely forgotten their
former encounter. Yet if he had
not taken Mabel home, and returned
to town by way of Kenesaw Hill,
there is no reason to think he would
ever have seen June Leaford, and
Kitty Leaford's death must have
gone unremarked, and those three
shattered houses on the Hill might
well have hid their dark secret
to the end
Clint left Mabel Gage standing in
her own door and drove away. He
chuckled and rubbed his lips with
the back of his hand where she
had kissed him; and he thought So
berly that someone ought to tell her
a few things, and was amused at
his own puritanic mind. He had not
always been so austere, and he for.
got Mabel now to think about him.
self, as young man is apt to do.
Before Clint's father died, the old
.er man must have suspected that
Clint and his sister Clara were not
ready for self-management; for he
created the Jervies Trust; and Miss
Moss, an angular middle-aged wom-
an with surprising tenderness be-
meath her iron exterior, who had
been Mr.. Jervies' secretary, be-
came the actual if not the titular
head of that Trust. She had been
almost like foster-mother to these
children since their own mother
died, and continued in that role.
Clint, rejecting tonight in a mild
amusement on his own vlrtuouS dis
approval of Mabel Gage, thought
Miss Moss would likewise be
amused at his attitude. She had
used to be so deeply distressed by
Clint's own recklessness, and
Clara's too.
But that was better than year
ago, and times were changed. Clint
himself now administered the Jer-
vies Trust, and shrewdly too; he
was become a sober-minded young
man Of affairs. He thought tonight
that sobriety and virtue might
sometimes mean a certain loneli-
ness. When she could trust Clint to
stand on his own feet, Miss Moss
had married Inspector Tope; and
Clara. long before that, was mar
ried to young Mat Hews, whose new
play would open in Chicago in day
or two.
Considering these things tonight,
Clint decided it must be fun to be
married, if you found the right girl.
L A. al