The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1945-10-26
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ing together and all the discord flung
behind them.
But Rob stood In a sort of daze in
the center of the bedroom, as If he
did not feel at home there. One
hand held his pipe as he pulled at
It., and he stood watching her as
she moved about, turning the bed
down, closing the window, taking
her nightclothes from the closet and
dropping them on the bed.
She went to his chiffonier and
took out a set of pajamas and hand
ed them to him. Here are some
fresh pajamas for you."
He took them absent-mindedly.
Then, as Nell undid the belt of her
skirt and stepped out Of it, and
peeled off her sweater, he said to
her hesitatingly, ''I'm awfully tired.
I think I'll sleep In the other room.
Do you mind?"
He looked at his wife.
With just her slip on, she was
seated in the low chair, one ankle
crossed over the other knee to unite
her shoe, her slender and beautiful
legs shining in their long silk stock
ings. Her tawny hair hung loose
over the pearl-like skin on her
breasts. Her cheeks were exquisite
ly flushed.
Without raising her head her dark
blue eyes slid up underneath her
brows and she answered easily,
''Not at all. I think it would be q
very good idea. I shall probably
sleep better myself"
Charley Sargent never missed the
three weeks autumn race meet at
Saginaw Falls in Idaho, one of the
few major or recognized" tracks
in the Rocky Mountain states; and
had the same stables for his horses,
and hotel accommodations for HIM
self, year after year. Taking his
horses down the Continental Divide
from a high altitude to one several
thousand feet lower gave them an
advantage, and he liked the town
which lay in the long valley between
the Wauchichi and Shinumo ranges
and had a season of pleasant autumn
weather.
Although the distance from Sar-
gents ranch to Saginaw Falls was
not more than eight hundred miles,
he always shipped his horses by
rail in charge of his trainer, Perry
Gunston, rather than vanning them
or taking them in an automobile
trailer. This was because the high
way made a rather precipitous de-
scent, winding down through sew
eral mountain passes; and on the
Divide, the unpredictable storms
sometimes made the road danger
GUS or even impossible for trucks.
But he himself made the trip by
| motor.
There were always several events
scheduled for two-year-olds, in
which Sargent tried out his promis-
| ing youngsters, and one race, on
the last day of the meet, with ten
thousand-dollar purse, which at
tracted an impressive entry. It was
In this race that Thunderhead was
to make his debut, and long before
school closed Ken had familiarized
himself with the past performances
Of all winners of this big event.
Thunderhead had only to run the
two miles on the Saginaw Falls
track as fast as he had run it at
home to win.
For Ken to hang around his IA
Their while the letter containing his
report card was being opened, or
even to allow the depressing event
| to catch him in the same room,
was so unusual that Rob McLaugh-
lin felt sure something was fishy.
He glanced up at Ken who stood
waiting beside his desk with hands
driven deep into the pockets of his
bluejeans. "Going to take your med
icine and get it over with, are your"
he grinned, then looked at the boys
face again. That wasn't Ken's usu-
al report-card face-the face of one
waiting for a death sentence. On
the contrary, the sensitive face was
now flushed with anticipation,
CLEANS of light played in the depths
of his blue eyes and one smile after
the other rippled across his lips.
"Read it, dad. Read it quick!"
he exclaimed, and watched closely
as his father took the card and
studied it, item by item.
Rob simply didn't believe it. He
shook his head with bewilderment.
SIS this card phony or what? Do
you know what's in it, Kent"
"What?" demanded Ken conf
IDENTIFY.
''Ninety-two in Algebra. Ninety.
four in Latin. Ninety-seven in Chem
istry, and one hundred in Eng
lish."
Rob pointed at the card. How'd
you get this? Was it just one COM
position?"
"You had to be excellent all year,
and write perfect composition to
end up with"
''What subject did you choose?"
~.