The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-11-12
81 LU CY PRAT 7

and out, and the big elm over by the fence
seemed to stand out very plane 1t was
something like lying down in nice lovely
bath after an awful hot day. Only Of
course seeing the moon and the siccamore
and the elm, made it ittel diffrent too,
because you couldn't of done that if you
were taking bath. And you couldn't of
smelled the roses the way you could now
either, or you couldn't of heard Mr.. Barker
talking to your Farther or your Farther
talking to Mr.. Barker. So Ilay there kind
of listening, and watching, and wondering
if Farther was going to let me go to the
dancing party, when Mr.. Barker spoke up
louder than before.
OF course you know the Dispatch is going
to>boom you for mayer, Mr.. Blanchard,
he said.
could hear Farther kind of laugh then.
Oh, nonsence, he said, don't believe
I'm the man for mayer 80
Yes, you are, just the man, Mr.. Barker
answered, just the man exackly And
we're going to begin on you early enough so
that by fall people will know for sure who
you are. "a
Well, how are you going to begin7 Far
Their asked, laughing some more, black head
lines and photograph ~
/ couldn't help wishing the gypsy lady
could see him now, he seemed to feel SO
much more pleasant and like talking
No, we're going to begin at the beginning,
Mr.. Barker said, and lead up to it gradually.
Begin with my boyhood7 Farther asked,
Well, they tell me was pretty lively kid.
That was kind of surprise, too, but if it
was really SO I wished he would go on and
tell more about it. But Mr.. Barker took
out his notebook then and asked him where
he was born. kasyta1
The moon was right over the sycamore
now, and when I looked at it this time, it
almost made me jump because the Man in
the Moon was watching evrything so very
bright and plane. never really noticed
before how very bright and plane he could
look. Why it seemed as if he was just
watching evrything as hard as he could
watch, and at the same time smiling, just
watching and smiling, watching and smiling
If it hadn't been for that praps it wouldn't
have happened the way it did. But I
couldn't seem to notice anything else, got
looking back SO hard, first at the Man in the
Moon and then at the stars keeping so still
all round him. . And pretty soon of course
/ began to understand why it was they kept
so still and never made the least disturbance.
1t was because the Man in the Moon was
keeping watch, and they knew they couldn't
So they just looked like ittel jewels
sparkling, and the Man in the Moon looked
like great big jewel smiling, and the clouds
seemed to sale round something ike ships,
but without making the least noise or dis
terbance, and evrything up there was in
just perfect order, till something happened.
1t will sound strange when / tell it, but it
happened just the same, and this was it.
The Man in the Moon went out.
And what I am going to tell now will
sound strange too, suppose. But it didn't
seem so then, it seemed so very natural.
Like this.
looked up at the Man in the Moon to
make sure he wasn't there, and then looked
over at Farther and Mr.. Barker and pretty
soon spoke. The Man in the Moons gone
out, I said.
What? Farther asked, turning his head
round so that / could see his face very
plane in the light What did you say,
Felix? The Man In the Moons gone
out?
Yes, replide to Farther, And think il
will bring trouble.
l said that because could see from the
looks of the stars and clouds there was al
ready littel disturbance there. Farther
seemed to see it, too. Anyway he looked at
Mr.. Barker and, The Man in the Moons
gone out, he said. And Mr.. Barker was the
most surprised of all.
Gone out! he answered, Gone out where!
Shawl What caused him to do that? Yor
can't mean to say he's gone for good! You
can't mean to say there isn't any Man in the
Moonl
Yes, told him, there wasn't any Man II
the Moon
Not any Man in the Moonl Mr. Barker
kept saying, Why it's an impersition fol
such thing to happen. Its an impersitior
for him to do like that without giving tn,
least notice.
Farther seemed to be thinking very harc
and deep.
OF course it is, he fnelly said, And j
shows you couldn't really trust him, doesn'
! it? It PROVES he wasn't the right man 70
the place, doesn't it7
1t certinly does, replide Mr.. Barker, quit
: slow, turning his head round so that I coul,
see his face very plane, too.
Tisn't evrybody that could fill the place
. either, Farther said pretty soon It mus
be quite heavy work to be the Man In th
Moon.