The citizen., 1918-01-10
what you wantT"


thought maybe you were looking out
OF the window and noticed where those
children went-Jane and that little girl
from across the street-Kirsted, her
name must be-"
mo; did not"
81 Just wondered" Mrs. Baxter said
timldly. Genesis thinks he heard the
little Kirsted girl telling Jane she had
plenty Of money for car fare. lie
thinks they went somewhere on a
street car. thought maybe you no
ticed wheth"-
IL told you I did not"
"All right" she said placatively. II
didn't mean TO bother you, dear"
Following this there was a silence,
but no sound OF recedng footsteps in
dicated Mrs. Baxter's departure from
the other side Of the closed door.
"Well, what you wantr' William
shouted
Nothing nothing at ALL" said the
compassionate voice. II Just thought
I'd have lunch a little later than usual,
not till half past THAT Is, if-well,
thought probably you meant to go to
the station TO see Miss Pratt off on the
1 O'Clock train"
How'd you find out she's going at
o'clockY"
"Why-why, Jane mentioned IT,"
Mrs. Baxter replied, with obvious
timidity. Jane said
She was interrupted by the loud, des-
parota soupd of xVtIIiaun'o flgt op,fttn o.
his writing table. so sensitive was his
condition. ''This is-just unbearable!'
he cried. "Nobody's business is safe
from that childr'
"why, Willie. don't see how It pat-
ters IT,.
He uttered n cry. "No Nothing
matters! Nothing matters at all! DO
you s'pose | want that child, with her
insults. discussing when Miss Pratt Is
or is not going awayf Don't you know
there are some things that have no
business TO be talked about by every
Tom, Dick and Harryf"
"Yes, dear" she said. IL understand,
Of course. Jane only told me she met
Mr.. Parcher on the street, and he men,
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O'Clock today. That's all r.
You say you understand" he wall
ed, shaking his head drearily at the
closed door "and yet. even on such a
day as this. you keep talking! Can't
you see sometimes there's times when
person can't stand to-
"Yes. Willie" Mrs. Baxter interposed
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have to go hunt up those children,
anyway. You try TO be back for lunch
at half past /. and don't worry. dear
You really will be all right"
He went to his mirror and. gazing
long. long and piercingly at the Will
liam there limned, enacted almost un.
consciously little scene OF parting
The look OF suffering upon the mir.
rored face slowly altered In its place
came one still sorrowful, but tempered
with sweet indulgence He stretched
out his hand as II he set II upon a
head at about the height OF his shoul
der.
"Yes. It may meant may mean for
ever" he said in a low, tremulous
voice Little girl. we must be brave. >
And the while his eyes gazed into
the mirror they became expressive OF
momentary pleased surprise. as II
even in the arts of sorrow he found
himself doing better than he knew
But his sorrow was none the less gen
uine because OF that.
Then he noticed the ink upon his
forehead and went away to wash
When he returned he did an unusua
thing-he brushed his coat thoroughly
removing II for this special purpose
After that he earnestly combed anC
brushed his hair and retied his tie
Next he took from II drawer two clear
handkerchiefs lie placed one in his
breast pocket. part of the colored Dor
der OF the handkerchief being left OF
exhibition. and with the other he care
fully wiped his shoes. Finally b,
sawed IL back and forth across then
and. with a sigh, languidly dropped Il
upon the floor. where II remained.
Returning TO the mirror. he agar
brushed bis hair. He went so far thi
time as to brush his eyebrows. whicl
seemed not much altered by the op
Grafton. Suddenly he was deeply al
fected by something seen In the glass
by George he exclaimed aloud.
Selling a small hand mirror, h
placed IT In juxtaposition to his righ
eye and closely studied his left profil
as exhibited In the larger mirror. The
he examined his right profile, subject
ing 1t to a like scrutiny, emotional, ye
attentive and prolonged.
: "By George he exclaimed again
BY George
: He had made a discovery. Their
was a downy shadow upon his uppe
lip. What he had just found out wa
b that this down could be seen project
ing beyond the line Of his lip, like
tiny nimbus II could be seen in pre-
file
by Georgew William exclaimed.
He was still occupied with the tw
mirrors when his mother again tappe'
softly upon his door, rousing him a
from a dream, brief but engaging, I
the heavy realities OF that day.
"What do you want nowT
Il won't come in said Mrs. Baxter
II just came TO see"
rs Thatf"
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