The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-11-03

type OF his newspaper.
"A girl!' Mrs. Martin repeated
ana laughed. Why. Ernie hates
girls. You can't drive him to go
where they are" Mrs. Martins tone
was not that of displeasure.
well. there's always a Erst one.
you know" Mr.. Martin said. Sudden
Iy he put his paper down. leaned back
in his Morris chair and roared- MO
Their. I wish you could have seen me
Minnie. Did ever tell you about
Minnie Pratt?"
Mrs Martin looked at him. speech
less. Had he ever told her about
Minnie Prattl Their FIRST post-mat-
rimonial quarrel had been over Minnie
Pratt. Even at this late day Mrs
Martin could see in her minds eye
the photograph OF Minnie Pratt which
Mr.. Martin had preserved for so long.
After the quarrel an impulse OF chiv-
airy had driven Mrs. Martin to set
that same photograph up on his bu-
secret JOY she discovered IL one day,
dusty and cracked and forgotten.
caught and crushed between the bu-
reau and the wall"
why. 1 had ii so bad" Mr.. Mar
tin went on, that 1 couldn't eat or
sleep--I lost flesh 1 gussied' up so
Tor Minnie that / was town talk. AS
for the family--they made my life a
perfect misery. Bertha, here's some
thing that / have never told any liv-
ing, mortal being. DO you remember
how my hair used to curl in front
Min told me once that she liked curls.
- ell. after that used toncarry a little
hCb in my pocket. When / saw
~ Saaning / would lift my hat and
COM hose curls further down on
my Ahead." Mr.. Martin roared
again.
OF curious 1,i 4,a nos rs as 81 twin
jealousies--jea ln&sy of her husbands
past, Jealousy of her boys future
tore herr For moment she had a
feeling that the whole man half OF
her family had deserted her.
Ernest is very different from
other boys" she said with emphasis
1t was evident that she felt him TO
be very different indeed from the per-
son OF the Minnie Pratt episode.
when I see him with a girl I'll be-
lieve it,"
ject again with Mr.. Martin. But to
say that she watched Ernest as close
~ as a cat watches a mouse describes
only family the persistence of her
study of him.
Gradually she came to realize that
she was watching a new Ernest-an
Ernest who promised to be one Of the
sartorial wonders of the age. Ger
tain admonitions-Mr. Martin had Of
ten asked her why she did not say
them into photograph and set IT IN
Ernest} ro0E1--droppeaQfFenr hcsesps
teeth?' Did you put on new col
lar?" Have you a clean handker-
chief2" Did you wash your neck and
ears clean2" Let me see your finger
nails Remember to take a bath
to-night'--she had no occasion for
airy of them now In brief. Ernest
presented himself at breakfast the
mold of fashion. He appeared at din
ner the glass Of form.
AS for Ernest
IN the morning ne went to school
fifteen minutes earlier than usual
Rounding certain corner he invari-
ably met Miss Faxon face to face
From her came Good morning.
| a flashing glance which seemed t. in
ject electricity into his veins-and Er-
nests day was a blank until 3 o'clock
| 1t need cot have been a blank so Ions
If he could have mustered up enough
| courage to turn and walk with her
But such enterprising conduct was
beyond him.
From 8 until 2 he spent most of hi
time shooting furtive Chances at Fay
| AS she still sat in front of him, al
he could get was that distractins
1 maze OF curls, the long, lily-likl
exquisite, toy-like bit Of ivory. faintl.
touched with rose, which was her ear
At 2 o'clock he went home.
From a quarter past to a Quarte
of he sat lounging in the bay win
dow until Fay passed the house Fivl
minutes later he had joined the Higl
School parade.
The course OF this daily walk of tn
undergraduates lay down Main Street
through the long, curving bow o
Linden Avenue. through Bartlett Ter
race and onto Main Street again. Fo
two hours groups OF boys and group
OF girls w0ve past each other, salut
ing punctiliousIy at the moment o
transit. Occasionally the alien group
mingled--the result sudden division
into pairs. Hitherto Ernest's gani
had pursued this course, morosely un
J gregerious. scorning fhd scorned, in
dulging III misogyniskc jests at tn
expense of the fussers Now, Xix
= the others, they walked with specific
J amopopr intent, for Fay Faxon had