The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-09-20
MaUMarie
|K40 By ElednOrHP |KRA
lMG|N cop~RIoHT 79a0 MMN

somebody else. Just ms he had done
the morning OF the lecture. And ]
knew II was Mother. OF course. 10
l naid:
mo. she din't come"
$50 ] see" he answered. And there
was such hurt. sorry look away
back In his eyes. But right away he
smiled. and said: But you came!
f'yc got you
Then he begun 20 talk and tell
stories. just Az n was a young lady
TO be entertained. And he took me
over TO where they had things Ia
eat, and just heaped my plate with
chicken pattics and sandwiches and
olives and pink-and-white frosted
cakes and ice-cream mot all at once.
Of course. but In ordor). And | had
perfectly beautiful time. And
Father seemed 10 like II pretty well.
hut after a while he grew sober
again. and his eyes began 10 rove all
around tho room.
Ito took me TO n little seat IN the
began TO talk--only Father didn't
talk much. He just listened 20 what
] said. and his eyes grew deeper and
darker and naddcr. and they didn't
rove around no much. after n time.
but Just stared fixodiy at nothing.
away out across the room. BY and
by he stirred and drew n long Sigh.
and said. almost under his breath !.
1T was Just such another night
as this"
And OF course. asked what was--
and then ! knew. almost before he
had told mo
THAT first saw your mother. my
dear"
"oh. yea. knows- I cried, eager
20 tell him that ! did know. And
she must have looked lovely In that
perfectly beautiful blue silk droAs all
silver lace"
lie turned and stared ne me.
How did you know thatT" no Do
mandcd.
II raw H..
You Naw ~"
Yesterday. yes--the Dress"
nodded
'But how could your" he asked.
frownlng. and looking NO surprised
why. that dress must bc--eeyen-
teen years old. or more"
nodded again. and I suppose !
did look picaned: it's such fun 10
have a secret you know. and watch
folks guess and wonder. And I kept
him guessing and wondering for
quite n while. Then. OF course. I
told him that II was upstairs in
Grandfathrr's trunk-room: that
Mother had got II out. and ! saw H.
But what-Awas your mother doing
with that drcanT" he asked then.
looking even more puzzled and myS-
tlficd.
And then suddenly thought
and remembered that Mother was
crying. And. OF course. she wouldn't
want Father 10 know shc was
crying over i,--thas dress she had
worn when he first met her long
ago. Il don't think women ever want
men 10 know such things. do your
know I shouldn't SO I didn't tell.
just kind OF tossed II off. and mum
blcd something about her looking II
over: and I was going to say some.
thing else. but l saw that Father
wasn't listening. lie had begun TO
talk again. softly. as II TO himself.
Il suppose tonight. seeing you.
and all this. brought II back to me no
wildly" Then he turned and looked
at me. you are very Ike your
mother tonight, dear"
II suppose am. maybe. when I'm
Marie" nodded
lilo laughed with his lips. but HIS
eyes didn't laugh one bit as he said:
What a quaint little fancs OF
yours that is. child--as II you were
two In one"
But I am two in one ] declared.
That's why I'm cross current and
contradiction. you know" ex.
planned
thought he'd understand. But he
didn't supposed. OF course. he
knew what crosscurrent and n
contradiction was. But he turned
again npd stared at me.
"A--whst7' he demanded.
"a cross-currcnt and contrndic.
tion." explained once more. "Chil.
dren Of unlikcs. you know. Nurse
Sarah told me that long ago. Didn't
you ever hear that--that child OF
unIIkes was n cross-currcnt and n
contradiction"
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