The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-04-11
HE MEETS Her MOTHER.

| Ethel to marry him there would be
no more trials except interviewing
| Ethel's father
| EthePs father was a small. nervous
man afflicted with an pOlOgetic man
ner and COrkIe was not especially
afraid of him. In fact, he found him
self planning how to make the inter
view as easy as possible for his flu
/ tuTe fatheT-in-law. His talk had re-
solved itself into something nearer a
| calm statement of the fact that he and
| Ethel were going to be married, rath-
or than tremendous request for her
fathers consent. COrkle got through
that session with flying coIors and a
rather high feeling of self-satisfac-
ttiOn.
Then he ran up against Ethel's
mother. Not that he had forgotten
/ her existence. Mrs. Grinker was not
| the sort Of woman one could forget.
! She, too, was small and not aggressive
! in the least, but there was an insistent
spirit about her which her husband
! lacked
To be sure. it was a plaintiyeIy in
SiStent spirit. During his courtShip
! COrI1Ie had had frequent talks with
/ EtheIs mother while waiting for
Ethel. They had never made any par
/ ticUlar impression on him because he
I =
| ing for Ethel to appear and gladden.
I his eyes. Mrs. GTinker had simply
/ filIed the interim. Nevertheless he
| had thought himself quite well and
comfortably acquainted with her.
Therefore the first time he saw her
after the news of EtheIS engagement
/ had been bestowed on the family Cor
! kle felt "A slight shock. He was gaZ-
ing at his-at his-prOspective moth
er-in-IaWi
| SubcOnsciously he had supposed
/ that on this occasion she would say
l"Ny SOM" and smile JOyfUily and
maybe he would pet her shoulder and
VERIFYING would move forward gayly.
Without cOncej' felt that any fam
lily should be tied to own him as
a Son-inlaw-
There was an unSmiling quality to
Mrs. drinkers gaze which bewiIdercd
him She seemed to be waiting. Cor
! kle Coughed
Il suppose he offered neTyoUsly.
II suppose-that is-yOu know about
Ethel and me?'
Yes" admitted Mrs. Grinkle, and
lbegan searching for her handkerchief,
TO the deep terror of Corkle- He Won
derCd why she should weep.
4 hope you don't mind?" he sai0
,.asrily and d little lamely,
81 can't know a mothers heart
I'D Mrs. GTinker into her hand
g.ci,--" My little Ethel!'
N going to make her happy"
protested CorkIe manfully. You'll
See,"
/ she had the most beautiful CuTlS
| when she was only 3. years old" said
Mrs. GTinker, weeping comfortably.
| People used to stop on the street
Just to look at herr l remember
that one old gentleman said, Madam,
do YOU know you have an angeliCai-
lily beautiful child2' And her com
Dlexion. And she had such a sweet,
loving disposition"
Yes" said COTkIe in q subdued
voice. He had vague Temembrances
of having heard something similar
| when he was a boy and attended d
pIaymate's funeral. He felt very IN
! comfortable.
Il always dressed her in white
/ when it was suitable" said Mrs.
! Grinker. People used to say it was
! extravagant, but 1 just said. She
/ won't be little girl but once felt
just that way. I'll never forget when
she wanted to put her hair up. She
was only T. That was the summer
! Cousin Lizzie came to visit with her
three children and / didn't have girl
| and it was the hottest summer in fif-
| teen years. / knew, because we al
/ ways had a thermometer on the porch
and it was a perfectly reliable one. L
never trust the weather reports They
don't know any more about il than
dc"
Certainly not" said CorkIe.
4 believe in girls knowing house
! work" said Mrs. GTinkeT. Ethel can
make the IOveIiest cake. That is, eX-
| ccpt when she gets to playing the
piano and fOTgets it and lets it burn
up. I've known men to swear, actu-
! ally, when their wives did that. They
hated to have ,ne eggs and butter and
even the flour wasted. II you should
swear at Ethel"
She can burn up cake every day
| of our lives if she likes declared
CoTkIc, herOically-
Il can't imagine Ethel married to
you" pursued Mrs. GTinker, staring
| at him as though he were a new
specimen and wiping her eyes. Il
always thought Ethel would marry
somebody very remarkable, with her
| looks and manners and her superior
carriage. Not. of course, but that
yU9-I didn't mean"
oh, never mind" said CorkIe,
completely 5ubdued. Il know I'm not
| worthy OF herr"
Not many men win a prize like
! Ethel" said her mother. I hope you
appreciate her! Few men have sense
enough TO appreciate a good wife
! when they get one There was a
man from Philadelphia with S1,000,000
who was fond of Ethel once. He was
good looking, too. I don't suppose
. -nay