The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-02-23


the bug 10 buy any OF that bum-look-
ing crockery. Any pie left. motherP''
What Ernest forgot TO ado was that
often Mrs Ventry sat for hours OBJ
hvious of him, silent. brooding, her
hand over her eyes.
But even as the constant dropping
OF Mrs Ventry's kindness had worn
away Mrs. Martins distrust, a paral-
lei series had washed down most OF
ErDests prejudice. Still no female
is perfect and Mrs. Ventry had her
faults. IL Ernest could have formu-
lated his impression, his main obtec-
ton to Mrs Ventry would have been
-Eweu, somehow, she was not like
Phoebe or Nelly Tate, comfortable fe-
males to have about. whose presence
you were just as likely to forget as
70 remember IF Mrs. Ventry is in
the room with you,' Ernest would have
said, by George, you know it,
And it was not, he might have added
that, like the more irritating of her
sex, she asked foolish questions
dropped things and required constant
attention. 1t was more that-well.
she had q mischievous habit of fixing
a fellow with pair Of eyes that were
as different as possible from any eyes
Ernest knew. Phoebe, for instance.
When Phoebe's gaze met yours Il was
soft and tnnocently speculative But
the deep blue lakes that were the ave
nues Tor Mrs Ventry's vision seemed
10 run over with a prickly sparkle.
And when she fixed that sparkle on
him-"Oh, Lordi" Ernest would have
inaptly concluded. But Ernest was
eternally grateful TO Mrs. Ventry, be-
cause, having discovered how easily
she could embarrass him, she never
looked at him now when she talked
with him Ernest would have ended
his list of objections with the state
ment that Mrs, Ventry ''jOllied" a fell
low. And If there was anything Err
nest dreaded il was a woman who "jol-
lied' you. Ernest had concluded that
verbal hrework were an integral part
of female psychology. He himself
could never think Of a come back"
Indeed, Ernest would, he thought
have been justified in calling Mrs.
NentryS manner toward the other fell
low hirtatious-only that, of course
after marriage people just naturally
do not fiirts any more than heavy OBJ
1ects cast earthward leap into the air
But allowing for these serious flaws
and Ernest had decided philosophi-
cally that you have to make allowance
for "a femaie-there was much about
Mrs Nentry to endear her to a lad of
sixteen. She could play tennis as well
as Phoebe, and billiards a good deal
better She was fond of golf. You
could not run a car too fast for her
And what she did not know about a
machine was not considered Of enough
Importance TO put in any of the motor
magazines that Ernest devoured
monthly. Perhaps it is enough TO say
that, so Tar as automobiles were con-
cerned, Ernest had found a kindred
soul Indeed. at the end of a month.
Ernest actually condescended TO ap-
prove Mrs Ventry without quilifica-
tons. Perhaps his opinion was a lit
tie mixed with his enjoyment of her
hospitahties.
ri in Trn1z or,f
away for Il week. The sudden cessa-
ton OF their tiny social merry-go-
round nearly threw the Martin chill
dren into a quicksand OF ennui. Err
nest found himself actually glad when
a business errand Of his fathers de
layed him IN Boston beyond dinner
time. For the first time in his life he
ate alone IA a restaurant. He was
strolling up fremont Street, in the ef-
fort TO kill time before the s o'clock
train, when his name came TO him
suddenly out of the crowd. Turning.
ne found himself face TO face with Mr.
Ventry.
That's right" that gentleman ex-
claimed, playfully hooking Ernest with
his stick. Don't cut an old friend
like that. Let me introduce you TO
er-my sister, Miss Tracey, Mr.. Mar
tin; Miss Tracey. Er-er-Miss Tracey
is Mrs. Ventry's sister. you know.
Miss Tracey's just run over suddenly
on business from New York. We've
been trying the whole afternoon to
set Mrs. Ventry on the phone
Miss Tracey was a very pretty girl
Ernest simply had to admit that
She was little, slender, flower faced
and big-eyeo. Ernest actually noticed
her clothes More startling than any
combination OF cOlors. the entire alb
sence, in her ose-fitting gown. Of
any ornamentation revealed the boy
'9InSU 0Iddns LeQ 10 SSuUSpom sYII
That sense of oral inhibition which
always attacked Ernest when he
talked with the female OF his species
fen on him life a blanket He glued
his eyes TO Mr.. Ventry. although In
view OF Miss Tracey's vivacity, it was
like trying 10 keep your eyes off an
electric fountain on q dark night.
Ernest had never seen Mr.. Nentry
in a mod like this. He was affa ble
cOmpanionable, even jolly. He talked
boisterously, asked a great many ques-
lions, answered them himself. laughed
often and at nothing in particular. He
slapped Ernest on the shoulder and
called him old chap" Ernest had
"a sudden proud feeling of being a
man among men.
Now, Ernest, Miss Tracey and I
are going to the Pop Concert, and
you've got to come along with us
Got tO-See? Don't try to say mo-
because we can't even hear such a
foolish noise as that"
After admitting that he must sure
ly leave by the 10 train, Ernest went
along willingly, eagerly. Ernest had
never attended a Pop Concert and
this, il appeared, Was Harvard Night.
Boston In = taxicab was IN itself mem