The Clio messenger., 1921-12-01
PART I-continued.

Noble looked puzzled Surprising
20 see meY" he said vaguely. II
haven't been away anywhere in par
ticular, Florence" Then, at a thought,
he frightened hopefully, I'm glad to
see you, Florence. Do you know If
any OF your family or relatives have
heard when your Aunt Julia is coming
homer
"Aunt Julia? Why. she's ont Of
town." said Florence. "She's visiting
different people she used to know
when she was away at school,"
"Yes. know" Mr. Dill returned.
"She's been gone six weeks"
"Oh, don't believe it's that long"
Florence said, casually; then with
more earnestness: "Mr. Dill, | was
goin' to ask you somep'm; it's kind of
funny question for me to ask, but"
"Yes, she has," Noble interrupted,
though not sensible that his remark
was an interruption, for he had been
unaware of Florence's voice in action
after the word "long." "Oh, yes she
has" he said. 1T was six weeks. day
befOre-yesterday afternoon. / saw
your father downtown this morning,
and he said he didn't know that any of
the family had heard just when she
was coming home. | thought maybe
some Of your relatives had letter
from her by this afternoons mail,
maybe"
81 guess not" said Florence. "Mr.
Dill there was a question | thought
I'd ask you-it's kind of funny ques-
tion for me to"
"Are you sure nobody's heard from
your Aunt Julia today?" Noble in
sisted.
Il guess they haven't. Mr.. Dill, /
was goin' to ask you"
It's strange" he murmured. 81
don't see how people can enjoy visits
that long. l should think they'd get
anxious about what might happen at
home"
"Oh, grandpa's all right; he says he
kind Of likes to have the house nice
and quite to himself and anyway
Aunt Julia enjoys visiting" Florence
assured him; AUNT Fanny saw
newspaper from one of the places
where Aunt Julla's visiting her school
roommate, that had her picture in it
and called her the famous Northern
Beauty it was down South some
where. Well, Mr.. Dill, was just say
in believed I'd ask you"
But a sectional rancor seemed to af-
feet the young man all at once. "Oh,
yes l heard about that" he said.
''Your Aunt Fanny lent my mother the
newspaper. Those people in that part
of the cOuntry-well-" He paused.
remembering that 1t was only Florence
he addressed; and he withheld from
utterance his opinion that the Civil
war ought TO be fought all over again.
'-Your father said your grandfather
hadn't heard from her for several days,
and even then she hadn't said when
she was coming home"
"No, I expect she didn't" said Flor
ence. "Mr. Dill. | was goin' to ask
you somep'n-it's kind of queer kind
OF question for me to ask, l guess"
she paused. However, he did not inter
rupt her, seeming preoccupied with
gloom; whereupOn Florence permitted
herself q deprecatory laugh and con-
tinued: at might be you'd answer yes,
or II might be you'd answer no; but
anyway | was gon' to ask you-it's
kind Of a funny question for me to ask,
] expect-but do you like poetry?"
"What?"
"WelI, as things have turned out
lately guess it's kind Of funny
question, Mr.. Dill; but do you like
poetryr
Mobiles expression took on cold
ness for the word brought to his
mind thought Of Newand Saunders.
This was a poet of Mobiles age, who
wrote verses TO Julia-that too-lovely
absent aunt of FloreBce's. ADO like
poetry?" said Noble. "No. / don't"
Florence was momentariIy dlscour-
aged but at her age people usually
possess an invaluable faculty which
they lose later i'm life; and II is a pity
fhey do lose II. At thirteen-especial-
~ the earlier months Of thirteen
they are stIll able TO set aside and
dismiss from their minds almost any
facts, no matter how audibly those
facts have asked for recognition. Chill
d-on superbly allow themselves to be.
come deaf, so to speak, 20 undesirable
circumstances most frequently. OF
course, to undesirable circumstances
tn the way of parental direction; so