Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-03-17
A Spell
Broken
1t Enthralled a Man
to His Discomfort
By MARJORIE cLoUGH

~ BY MANJONlE CLOUOE 2
s~%~@~~~~~@~~~@%@@~@%~~~~
When l was a boy Of seven my
mother took me away from. our home
with her to live elsewhere. l did not
know what 1t meant at the time, but
as l grew older l learned that my
parents had had misunderstanding
and had separated. When l was six
teen my mother drew me down beside
her and, with her arms about me and
her cheek against mine, said to me:
Frank, dear, I am going to make a
great sacrifice for you. Your father.
who is very rich, has made me a prop
osition that IL will give you up to
him he will make you bis heir. But
our family misfortune-ou separation
has made him very bitter against
women. / shall not enter into the
cause Of our living apart, since l don't
wish to prejudice you against him.
l would rather have you think that
the fault was all mine.
However this may be. your fathers
repugnance for my sex has taken a
singular form. sometimes think that
In this respect his brain has been at
fected. II you go to him and he
makes will in your favor your In
heritance will depend upon your hv-
Ing a single life"
"My dear mother" replied, cling
ing to her, II prefer to remain with
you and let father leave his money to
some one else AS for marrying.
only ask to be with you rs long as
you live. After that I care not wheth-
er marry or remain single"
But my mother, who knew better
than I the value Of money. persuaded
me to go, though l consented only on
condition that I be permitted to visit
her whenever chose.
My father said to me never WORD
about our family trouble or the condi-
tions under which came to him, but
he sent me to a lawyer, who showed
me q COPY Of the will he had just
made. In this l was made his sole
heir ON condition of my not being mar
ried at the time of his death. but In
the event of my being afterward mar
ried was required to turn over the
property to charitable institution
which he had already endowed ana
which to:e his name.
My father did not mention my moth
er except when 1t became necessary to
refer to her in the ordinary course OF
conversation and then not In the least
disrespectfully. Indeed, he said to me
one day. "Your mother Is one OF the
best Of her SEX"
So long as lived with my mother l
associated with girls as other boys did,
but while with my father l was not
thrown in with them. and, knowing
his prejudice against them. I naturally
chose my associates from my own sex.
But while during my stay with my
mother cared very little about girls
had not been long deprived Of their
society before began to look upon
the forbidden fruit as sweet
We lived In a city. and my room,
which was In the rear Of the house.
looked out upon the rear Of the dwell
ings facing on another street. Fate,
who is always interfering In our at
fairs, must needs place at window OF
the house directly back Of ours very
pretty girl, just budding. When l first
went to live with my father she sat
there with her doll. But that was only
for brief period, and 1t was not long
before one day when she caught sight
of me looking at her she appeared
thoroughly conscious Of my admira-
ton.
1t did not occur to me that my LOOK
ing at a girl through back window
was fraught with danger. The fact
that expected never to marry was no
reason why l should not look at girl,
and this girl was especially fair to see.
Besides. sometimes saw her with
others on a rear porch or in the little
yard below. and all her motions were
singularly graceful. AS she chased her
friends about or was chased by them.
playing tag or some other game, she
seemed to me q veritable fairy, and ]
spent much time looking at her
through the Stats of the shutters OF my
window.
But one day there came break In
the situation. While my charmer was
playing with another little girl In the
back yard. l was concealed behind the
blinds. looking at them. The friend
made q motion or gave a look or
something toward my window that
called forth q reproof from her play
mate. Alas, the fatal knowledge that
my little lady had something to con-
ade and that something pertained to
me had been impaired to me! That
which my father doubtless considered
an infection had entered my system.
Then followed boyish way OF
scraping an acquaintance. really OF
making love. though 1 had no idea
that was doing anything Of the kind.
| procured bow and one day. when
l saw my charmer in the back yard,
sent an arrow thrust through scrap
Of paper. on which had expressed
a desire to make her acquaintance.
She saw the arrow fall. glanced up at
my window and. seeing whence the
missive had come. without touching It,
went into the house. This was in the
evening, just before dark. Early in
the morning l looked for my missive.
and there was no sign Of It felt as
sured that she had taken 1t when II
was too dark for me to see her.
What use to tell what every boy and
every girl has been through? I way.
laid her on the street when she was
going to school, but was then too old
to address her, too young to properly
arrange for ain introduction. The coy
ness Of woman was in her, and she
gave me no opportunity. have for
gotten now how the barrier between
US was broken down-whether she
dropped her schoolbooks purposelyl,
whether was with boy friend who
knew her and Joined In the converse
ton when he spoke to her or whether
she gave ME a smile In passing and !
made bold to offer her posy. At
any rate, the first thing knew was