Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1907-11-20
THEIR POIN'
OF VIE w

Inc AiGulSOU IdHily was tCltADiS
upset. The news had just been brok-
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 it was nothing unusual. 1t
was just as If he had been in the habit
of announcing every day OF his life
that he had matrimonial intentions.
"The idea Of his thinking of getting
married. almost wept Mrs. Atkinson
that evening to her husband why
didn't you tell him he was foolish in
stead of just sitting there! Derrick's
mere boy yet--he's so aWiully
young!"
He's 2S,v commented Derrick's
father, gruffly, 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. II just came to be-
lieve it! 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 a grin. mo, can't say
that | have a picture of Derrick pick
ing out a good steak on his way to the
train to be sent up or frequenting in
] telligence Offices. ! don't believe he'd
know steak in it's natural state from
sofa cushion or have courage to race
a cook in search of job. 1t seems
funny to have boy you've taken
across your knee and spanked talk
about getting married"
81 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 a girl
I've never laid eyes on but once! IL
seems so unnatural, somehow! lie
might have considered me little! He
knows it takes me so long to get ac-
quainted with strangers. I'm sure
4 there were lots of nice girls around
home here expect she led him on.
She had on a brown dress the day |
saw her and never did like brown.
She's not at all his style of girl.
Grace Little" said Derrick's faith
err, 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 ha lIerchief she is
probably one of the scheming kind
and thorqht she'd never again have
such a chance A boy as handsome as
Derrick aad with as good a salary
and everythiug-he has always gone
= in such coed society-oh, it's a scheme
clear through. He says she is only q
I suppose she is wild with Joy at hav
ing landed him. And her mother--oh
can imagine how complacent hel
) 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" venture(
Atchison, with lame attempt at jus
tice.
Il don't want to-" flashed Mrs. At
! Gibson. 81 suppose that's where Der
rick is gone now since dinner. AL
. these years in his own home and nov
E he deserts us for Grace bittle's moth
: ers house! They've simply hypnot
lied him. My boy never would trea
his parents so if he were not beWitch
ed"
:, still, it's the natural thing to &c
married. said Atchison. Its don
S every day."
{ HE said that must go and call o.
a the Littles," said Derrick's mother
: I'D rather be killed! l simply can
: stand having to listen to that woman
;, gush over Derrick and congratulate
i herself that she's to have him for
n son-in-law! She'll be so full of he
e triumph that she'll talk nothing else
It I'll have to smile and pretend that
: like it! It's big feather in any girl
v cap to marry Derrick"
h Hes a fine chap" admitted hi
i father" even If he is my own son!"
n Several days later Derrick's mothe
! went in state, haughtily tolerant to ca
on Grace Little and her mother, VIII
by arts and wiles had lured her onl
: son into their net and now sat triun
q phant over the sacrifice. She bega
81 telling her husband about the call b
n fore he got inside his own door tha
t. evening.
n Il never was so indignant in all NJ
" life!" Mrs. Atchison said, excited.
n DO you know what that woman did
She had the nerve actually to wee
I to shed tears--over the sacrifice {
her daughter! She didn't seem to al
y preciate what she was getting at all
She said Grace was SO young and sh
hadn't wanted her to marry for year
e. yet, but that Derrick was 80 impetuou
= and persistent very words! Sh
did admit that he was "a nice youn
man, but she did it in grudging wa,
She didn't talk about thing but he
daughter. You'd have thought that We
all that, mattered! She almost congra
l. =.