The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-15

a spark was hard to die, Freddiets own
j RSf. f DoI, Ra aSSwa h Tp9 nsod i. 10 LIES 81 Is so 50
mother, that it isn't worth while spoil
horrId things. Forget it~thats my
motto; II %anyone's nasty, let him take
his little bag of tricks and entertain
some other audience, that's all"
so that now. in this strange circum-
stance, he was watched In the family
circle with misgivings, not untinged by
awe, when one evening he demanded
ri his NJ, nw TttlS SUIT Slsster sh in Z e.. ToiG e ret mS.a at al 4
over the whole darned shop when she
him aghast; her lips refused to frame q
| syllable. Not even her outraged virtue,
ne root Of It deep In The knowledge
asked her. 'lf she had to stare at him
pop-eyed, with her face open like n
china frog?' Irene arose and. still
speechless., left the room. Usually 1t
domestic crisis could back her brother
up against the wall
II worried Mrs, Mason. 1t brought a
httle frown between her golden, deli
estely curved eyebrows. Whatever in
And then! Hes sick, He must be
sick. He never acted like this before"
Pursuing her policy OF "a good wife"
she did not take her trouble at once to
Mr.. Mason; This partly because "a
out her own difficulties before bother
Ing her husband with thern,' and partly
because OF o conviction, less frequently
spoken aloud, that men do not always
understand"
But when, after two hours spent be-
side her son on the couch, during all
Of which time he scarcely had turned
one page OF the magazine he held be-
fore him, and never once had responded
TO her pretty overtures Of a hand very
~ rosy with a kiss, she simply had to
speak Of It to. someone. Accordingly;
Frederick she said to her hus-
band that evening; in the privacy OF
their W room. II think We. ought to
Nonsense" said Freddie's father. II
never in my life saw anyone eat so
night"
taking down her hair-"l know; but,
Big Frederick crossed the room to
her In couple Of strides. He drew her
gently to her feet before him. In the
sweet, loose white thing that she wore,
her soft gold hair all tumbled on her
shoulders, she looked to him just as she
had more than twenty years before,
when he had married her. Just for an
instant he scarcely could see her
through the veil OF tenderness for her
there was in his eyes, And then:
Don't. you worry. little mother he
said. "Freddle's nineteen, dear, that's
all"
She looked UP at him, her eyes big.
Almost he did not hear Just what she
he had been able 70 keep that gaze SO
s~tralght-so like a girls.
I'm so afraid he's overworking," she
murmured.
Dearest" he told her, hes my son,
wen dine some night this week down
town at the club--Just the two Of us"
lie said IT so easily, EXACTLY as
thought he had offered a real solution
Of her difficulties, she thought, She
We'll what, earthly. good wilt that
doH' she exclaimed, II tell you. Fred.
die "a not well. He ought to
Be better friends with his father
declared that gentleman, finishing her
stop looking 10 Worried
But 4 he's not we'll she protested,
how VIII It help him to dine with"
Sweet Interrupted her lord, I've
understand, dear?, IT'S just girls Just
girls! He's beginning to notice EN-,
that's all He's beginning to think
they're pretty, He can't help 1t. They
bother him.
A light ,dawned on her. She gave A
blushed deeply-adorahly. But he'd
given her the lead now She was nc
coward. She went at once TO the at
tack.
don't haye 20 ask you, Of c~ourse-but-
but you believe all I've taught Freddie
don't YOU? | mean, really? You believe
with me that q boys life should bC
just as--Rs clean as a girls? Yoy
wouldn't tell Freddie anything-differ.
ent?"
He had drawn her down on his knees
The best Of him, his own clean mani,
soul, was looking out at her through hi
steady eyes.
just exactly what you believe. Only
because I'm a man. perhaps--I know {
little better than YOU do how hard i
might be for Freddie" He paused
moment t~houghtfully then. not KNOWN,
ton. 'of course | believe as YOU do
he maintained stoutly, only | wouldn'
want the boy to marry, either; rushe'
MARRY" The cry was from her
Marry Why, whatever? Why, Fred
eriek Mason, he's only q baby himself
Il know, ] know, But" Just 10
the instant he seemed to have slippe,
from her-to he seeing things she coul,
NOT see. lntn ne GeaIlHed that tn
pretty color all had left her face. An,
SO;
I'VE won't cross our bridges till W
come to Them he said easily-a shad
too easily,
Perhaps he had forgotten how flee
are the feet of Youth On the bridr
and over II they go while Age come
painting down the long road--just a liz
tie too late.
pREI,ATE COMING