"Father," she said, "you just must speak to Jim. He's taken our car
twice at night without asking for it, and last night he broke a spring.
Les is simply crazy."

"Taken your car!" Mrs. Wheeler exclaimed.

"Yes. I hate telling on him, but I spoke to him after the first time,
and he did it anyhow."

Mrs. Wheeler glanced at her husband uneasily. She often felt he was too
severe with Jim.

"Don't worry," he said grimly. "He'll not do it again."

"If we only had a car of our own--" Mrs. Wheeler protested.

"You know what I think about that, mother. I'm not going to have him
joy-riding over the country, breaking his neck and getting into trouble.
I've seen him driving Wallace Sayre's car, and he drives like a fool or
a madman."

It was an old dispute and a bitter one. Mr. Wheeler got up, whistled for
the dog, and went out. His wife turned on Nina.

"I wish you wouldn't bring these things to your father, Nina," she said.
"He's been very nervous lately, and he isn't always fair to Jim."

"Well, it's time Jim was fair to Leslie," Nina said, with family
frankness. "I'll tell you something, mother. Jim has a girl somewhere,
in town probably. He takes her driving. I found a glove in the car. And
he must be crazy about her, or he'd never do what he's done."