The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1907-11-28
t HEIR POINT
OF VIEW

| upset me news nad Just been DrOk-
en- to them by Derrick Atchison him,
self that he was going to be mar
ried
What stunned them most was his
way of telling them this quite natur.
ally, as If IL was nothing unusual. II
was just as If he had been in the habit
of announcing every day of his life
that he had matrimonial intentions.
1.-THE idea of his thinking of getting
married." almost wept Mrs. Atchison
that evening to her husband. why
didn't you tell him he was foolish in
stead of just sitting there! Derricks
a mere boy yet--he's so awfully
young!"
Hes 2S," commented Derricks
father, grufily, biting his cigar and
frowning.
ut seems just the other day that he
was playing marbles and wearing out
his stockings at the knees" said Mrs
Derrick, tearfully 81 just came to be
lieye 1t! 1t seems too ridiculous! Why
can you imagine Derrick-that ire
sponsible boy--at the head of house
hold?"
Flat" corrected Atchison, with the
suspicion of grin. mo, | can't say
that | have n picture of Derrick pick
ing out good steak on his way to the
train to be sent up or frequenting in
telligence Offices. don't believe he'd
know a steak in its natural state from
a sofa cushion or have courage to face
a cook in search of job. 1t seems
funny to have boy you've taken
across your knee and spanked talk
about getting married"
Il don't suppose we can stop him,
either" said his mother, gloomily,
He's awfully set in his ways. And TO
think that he's going to marry girl
I've never laid eyes on but once! 1t
seems so unnatural, somehow! He
might have considered ME little! He
knows 1t takes me so long to get ac-
quainted with strangers. Pm sure
there were lots of nice girls around
home here. l expect she led him on.
She had on a brown dress the day |
saw her and l never did like brown.
She's not at all his style of girl"
Grace Little" said Derrick's faith.
er, meditatively. 81 never heard of her
father. don't believe he can amount
to much in his line"
'No doubt she just worked Derrick
into proposing" said Mrs. Atchison,
twisting her handkerchief. "She is
probably one of the scheming kind
and thought she'd never again gave
such a chance A boy as handsome az
Derrick and with as good a salary
and everything-he has always gone
in such good society-oh, it's scheme
clear through! He says she is only 20.
but I've no doubt she's years older
| suppose she is wild with joy at hav
ing landed him. And her mother-oh,
can imagine how complacent her
mother must be these days at having
got her daughter settled at last! How
she will talk to the neighbors and en-.
joy herself! Horrid, designing, ordi.
nary people!"
But we don't know Them" ventured
Atchison, with a lame attempt at jus
tice.
Il don't want to-" flashed Mrs. At.
Gibson. Il suppose that's where Der
rick is gone now since dinner. All
these years in his own home and now
he deserts us for Grace Titles moth
er's house! They've simply hypnot
lied him! My boy never would treat
his parents so II he were not bewitch
ed"
Still it's the natural thing to gel
married." said Atchison. IT'S done
every day"
"He said that ! must go and call on
the Littles," said Derrick's mother
I'D rather be killed! / simply cant
stand having to listen to that woman
gush over Derrick and congratulate
herself that she's to have him for a
son-in-law! She'll be so full of heI
triumph that she'll talk nothing else
I'll have to smile and pretend that
like it! It's a big feather in any girls
cap to marry Derrick"
He's a fine chap" admitted his
father" even II he is my own son!"
Several days later Derrick's mother
went in state, haughtily tolerant to cal
on Grace Little and her mother, who
by arts and wiles had lured her only
son into their net and now sat trium
plant over the sacrifice. She begar
telling her husband about the call be
fore he got inside his own door tha
evening.
Il never was so indignant in all my
lifel" Mrs. Atchison said, excitedly
do you know what that woman did
She had the nerve actually to weeI
to shed tears--over the sacrifice o
her daughter! She didn't seem to ap
preciate what she was getting at all
She said Grace was so young and sh'
hadn't wanted her to marry for years
yet, but that Derrick was so impetuou
and persistent-her very words! Sh'
did admit that he was nice youni
man, but she did it in grudglng way
i. She didn't talk about thing but he
daughter. You'd have thought that wa
all that mattered! She almost congrat
ulated mo IN getting such a dauphte,