Mexico Missouri message., 1918-01-10

broken, foresee 1t. If there's any
thing despise and abominate it's
breaker of dates. Men have no busl-
ness being broken, except their hearts,
when girls are mixed up in it.-Hello7
oh; oh-h-hl Yes-it's professor
How are you2-Yes, indeed-oh, yes,
I'm going to be home. Yes, indeed.
Come about eight. OF course I'll be
here-nothing important-it didn't
amount to anything at ADJUST little
old everyday affair.-Yes, can ar
range it nicely.-We're so anxious to
see you-All right-Good-by."
She turned back to the table, her
face flushed, eyes shining. "Its pro-
fessorl He's in town just overnight,
and he's coming out. I'll have to phone
Joe"
Anything / despise and abominate
it's a breaker Of dates" chanted Con-
ME.
"ohs that's different" explained
Carol. "This is professorl Besides,
this will sort of even up for the
Thanksgiving banquet last year."
"But that was Phil and this is Joe ~
"Oh. that's all right. It's just the
principle, you know, nothing personal
about It,"
She stood thoughtfully beside the
table, her brows puckered unbecom-
ingly.
81 think" she said at last slowly,
with wary eyes on her fathers quiet
face, II think I'll let the tuck out of my
old rose dress. It's too short"
"Too short! Why, Carol" inter-
rupted her aunt.
"Too short for the occasion, mean.
I'll put 1t back tomorrow" Once more
her eyes turned cautiously fatherward.
"You see, professor still has the little
twinnie' idea in his brain, and I'm GO
ing to get 1t out. 1t isn't consistent
with our five feet seven. We're grown
up. Professor has got to see it. You
skoot upstairs, Connie, won't you,
there's a dear, and bring 1t down, both
of them, Lark's too. Lark-where did
you put that ripping knife? Aunt
Grace, will you put the iron on for me?
It's perfectly right that professor
should see we're growing up. Well have
to emphasize 1t something extra, or he
might overlook 1t. 1t makes him feel
Methuselish because he's so awfully
smart. But I'll soon change his mind
for him."
In less than two minutes the whole
family was engaged In growing Carol
up for the occasion. They didn't see
any sense in 1t, but Carol seemed so
unalterably convinced that it was nee
essary that they hated to question her
motives.
If her idea had been utterly to dunn
found the unsuspecting professor, she
succeeded admirably. Carefully she
planned her appearance, giving him
just the proper interval of patient wait
ing in the presence Of her aunt and
sisters. Then, slow parting of the
curtains and Carol stood out, brightly,
gladly, her slender hands held out in
welcome, Carol, with long skirts swish
ing around her white-sllppered feet,
her slender throat rising cream-white
above the soft fold of old rose lace, her
graceful head with its royal crown Of
bronze-gold hair, tilted most charm
ingly.
The professor sprang to his feet and
stared at her. "Why, Carol" he ex-
claimed soberly, almost sadly, as he
crossed the room and took her hand.
"Why, Carol Whatever have you been
doing to yourself overnight"
OF course, it was far more "over-
night" than the professor knew, but
Carol saw to 1t that there was nothing
to arouse his suspicion on that score.
He lifted her hand high, and looked
frankly down the long lines of her
skirt, with the white toes of her slip
pers showing beneath. He shook his
head. And though he smiled again, his
voice was sober.
I'm beginning to feel my age" he
said.
This was not what Carol wanted, and
she resumed her old childish manner
with gleeful laugh.
"What on earth are you doing in
Mount Mark again, P'fessorp When
Carol wished to be particularly coy,
she said 'p'fessor." 1t didn't sound ex-
| DuI opOhSh Ah SuAOA y
voice was really irresistible.
"Why, came to see you before your
hair turned gray, and wrinkles marred
you"
wrinkles won't mar mine" cried
Carol emphatically. "Not everl use
up a whole jar of cold cream every
three weeks won't have 'em. Wrin-
klesl P'fessor, you don't know what
time I have keeping myself young"
She Joined in the peal of laughter
that rang out as this age-wlse state
ment fell from her lips.
you'll be surprised" he said,
'what does bring me to Mount Mark.
I have given up my position in New
York, and am going to school again In
Chicago this winter. shall be here
only tonight. Tomorrow begin to study
again. am changing my line of work.
The fact is, I'm going to enter the min