SENATOR:  Well, when your own boy ’stead of whining around about his conscience, stood up and offered his life!

FEJEVARY:  Yes.  And my nephew gave his life.

SENATOR:  That so?

FEJEVARY:  Silas Morton’s grandson died in France.  My sister Madeline married Ira Morton, son of Silas Morton.

SENATOR:  I knew there was a family connection between you and the
Mortons.

FEJEVARY:  (speaking with reserve) They played together as children and married as soon as they were grown up.

SENATOR:  So this was your sister’s boy? (FEJEVARY nods) One of the mothers to give her son!

FEJEVARY:  (speaking of her with effort) My sister died—­long ago. (pulled to an old feeling; with an effort releasing himself) But Ira is still out at the old place—­place the Mortons took up when they reached the end of their trail—­as Uncle Silas used to put it.  Why, it’s a hundred years ago that Grandmother Morton began—­making cookies here.  She was the first white woman in this country.

SENATOR:  Proud woman!  To have begun the life of this state!  Oh, our pioneers!  If they could only see us now, and know what they did!  (FEJEVARY is silent; he does not look quite happy) I suppose Silas Morton’s son is active in the college management.

FEJEVARY:  No, Ira is not a social being.  Fred’s death about finished him.  He had been—­strange for years, ever since my sister died—­when the children were little.  It was—­(again pulled back to that old feeling) under pretty terrible circumstances.

SENATOR:  I can see that you thought a great deal of your sister, Mr Fejevary.

FEJEVARY:  Oh, she was beautiful and—­(bitterly) it shouldn’t have gone like that.

SENATOR:  Seems to me I’ve heard something about Silas Morton’s son—­though perhaps it wasn’t this one.

FEJEVARY:  Ira is the only one living here now; the others have gone farther west.

SENATOR:  Isn’t there something about corn?

FEJEVARY:  Yes.  His corn has several years taken the prize—­best in the state.  He’s experimented with it—­created a new kind.  They’ve given it his name—­Morton corn.  It seems corn is rather fascinating to work with—­very mutable stuff.  It’s a good thing Ira has it, for it’s about the only thing he does care for now.  Oh, Madeline, of course.  He has a daughter here in the college—­Madeline Morton, senior this year—­one of our best students.  I’d like to have you meet Madeline—­she’s a great girl, though—­peculiar.

SENATOR:  Well, that makes a girl interesting, if she isn’t peculiar the wrong way.  Sounds as if her home life might make her a little peculiar.

FEJEVARY:  Madeline stays here in town with us a good part of the time.  Mrs Fejevary is devoted to her—­we all are. (a boy starts to come through from right) Hello, see who’s here.  This is my boy.  Horace, this is Senator Lewis, who is interested in the college.