Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-02

beauty in it's October dress drew from
me sigh of contentment. Then l turned
from the window and went downstairs.
knowing-how well I should know?-that
Aunt Jane and Uncle Paul would not like
it If I kept them waiting
They had regained in the morning much
of their Puritan reserve, and I did not
blame them, knowing their natures. L
knew that [ was much welcome in the
morning as l had been the night before
While we ate breakfast two or three OF
the farm laborers who. had been there
In my time came to the house and gave
me greeting, greeting half of welcome
and half of suspicion; | could find no
fault with the latter because they re-
membered what | had been, and / was
yet to prove what | would be. The same
feeling would presently arise in the
minds of Aunt Jane and Uncle Paul, and
1t was for me, by my acts, TO drive it
away forever.
A week passed at the homestead, Il
week of wonderful eXhilaration for me-
Remember that l was a new man, made
over physically. mentally and morally.
I walked and rode all over the place and
those of my neighbors. l renewed. old
acquaintance, I took a little part In the
Giles and show my willingness, and 1
read approval in the eyes of Uncle Paul,
although he said nothing.
The happy week came to an end all too
quickly, and 1 knew that l must go. as
did not intend to be turned from my pur-
pose More than once l had caught
Aunt Jane and Uncle Paul looking at me
with curious inquiring eyes, and | under
stood the thoughts that were in their
minds Would l stick? Would this So
briefly last? That was the question they
had asked themselves. 1 had broken
their confidence and shattered their hopes
so often that. they had ample cause for
doubt despite my new look. l broke the
news to them when We were at dinner
and I saw look of dismay come into
the eyes of both.
Il shall have to leave in three days,
said: 81 am going to Boston or rather
Cambridge, and / mean to stay two
years.
Il thought that you had reformed said
Uncle Paul. with plain and brusque
speech, all his doubts of me flaming up,
land here you are. going away on another
wild trip that will end God knows how
and where.
| bore the rebuke without finching be-
cause / knew that 1t was warranted
Il am not entering upon any long wan
dering," / said. Il am going to Cam
bridge to enter the Harvard Law School,
and I shall spend the two years there i'll
hard study / ask you and Aunt Jane to
come and see for yourselves, and also be-
cause | shall want to see you. l already
have a diploma to practice law In this
state as YOU know. but ] need more
it, Then I shall return here. settle down
with you two and enter law and public
life
/ spoke earnestly felt what was say
ing-and genuine earneStness always
makes an impression. Only little doubt
was left in Uncle Paul's eyes, but in Aunt
James there was none at ALL Was it be-
cause she was the keener or the softer
hearted?
God bless the boy," she exclaimed.
''Ho is irving make a man of himself
at last!'
l blushed a little. but 1 responded fer
vently.
Yes. Aunt Jane. l hope to make
man of myself. and l know that you and
Uncle Paul will put nothing in the way
They made no further protest but help
ed me with my preparations and began to
take active interest in the career that
/ had planned. At first thought it may
seem strange that they asked SO little
about my long absence, but on second
thought it will not; they merely regarded
it as five years of dissipation. over which
it would be better to draw the heavy
blanket of silence.
On the day before my departure. I