The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-09-18

anything, either. at the luncheon
table. when Grandfather was talk.
ing with Aunt Hattie about the lee
ture. and telling some OF tho shings
Father had said.
Grandfather said II was an admir-.
able address. scholarly and oonvinc'
ting. or something like that And he
said that he thought Or. Anderson
had improved greatly In looks and
manner. And he looked straight NJ
Mother when he said that. but stu
Mother never said word.
In the afternoon | went 10 walk
with one OF the girls: and when ]
came In couldn't find Mother. She
wasn't anywhere downstairs. nor in
her room. nor mine. nor anywhere
else on that floor. Aunt Hattie said
no. she wasn't out. but that she waa
sure she didn't know where she was.
She must be somewhere In tho house.
went upstairs then. another
tight There wasn't anywhere else
10 20, and Mother must DO some.
where Of course. And u seemed
suddenly 90 me as ia Just got 10
ind her. I wanted her 10
And ] found her.
In the little back room where Aunt
Hattie keeps her trunks and moth
ball bags. Mother was ON tho floor
In tho corner crying. And when
exclaimed out and ran over 20 her.
| found she was sitting beside an old
trunk that was open: and across her
lap was n perfectly lovely palc-hlue
satin dress all trimmed with silver
lare that had grown black. And
Mother was crying and crying AZ II
her heart would break
or course. tried and tried 20 stop
her. and begged her to tell me VIVA,
was the matter. Hut Z couldn't do
a thing. not n thing. not for LONG
time. Then I happened 90 say what
a lovely dress. only what a pity II
was that the lace was all black.
She gave a little choking cry then.
and began 10 talk--littic short sem
tsneea all chokcd up with sobS 10
that I could hardly tell what she was
talking about. Then. little by little.
began 10 understand
EUf &liU w. " WAN al nfAt
furnished. and that II was Just like
everything that ahc had had any
thing 20 do with---tarnished her life
and her marriage. and Fathers life.
and uine--everythinE was furnished.
just like that silver lace on that
dresS And nh. had don. " by her
,houghtiess sclfishness and lack Of
self discipline.
And when I tried and tried 20 tell
her no. II wasn't. and that didn't
feel iarnished n bit. and that she
wasn't. nor Father either. sho only
cried all the moro. and shook her
head and began again. all chokrd up
She said this little dress was the
lone abe wore At the big reception
where she first met Father. II was
a beautiful hiuc then. all shining and
spotisss. and tho silver lace siis,cned
like frost In she sunlight And Ahc
was 30 rrcud and happy when
Faiher--and heswas Ono and splcn-
did and handsome then. too. sh. said
singled her out, ana Just couldn't
seem 10 stay away from her n min
ute all the evening. And then four
days later he asked her to marry
him; and she was stlil more proud
and happy.
And she said their married life.
when they started out was Just like
tina; beautiful Dress. all shining and
spoticss and perfect: but that 4,
wasn't two months before a little bit
Of tarnish appeared. and then an
other and another.
She said she was ~lflsh and will
fui and exacting. and wanted Father
all to herself: and she didn't stop
to think that he had his work 10
do. and his place 20 make In the
world: and that all OF living. 10 him.