The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1921-11-02

has" he said. 1T was six weeks, day
bcfore-yeSterday afternoon. I 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. 1 thought maybe
some Of your relatives had q letter
from her by this afternoons mail,
maybe"
81 guess not" said Florence. "Mr.
Dill, there was question 1 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, l
was goin' to ask you-"
ITS strange" he murmurcd. 81
| don't see how people can enjoy visits
that long. ! should think they'd get
anxious about what might happen at
home"
ON, 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 IL
newspaper from one Of the places
where Aunt Julia's visiting her school
roommate, that had her picture in it
and called her the famous Northern
Brauty;' it was down South some
where. Well, Mr.. Dill, 1 was just say.
in believed I'd ask you-"
But Il sectional rancor seemed to af-
feet the young man all at once. "Oh.
yes. heard about that" he said.
"lour Aunt Fanny lent my mother the
newspaper. Those people in that part
OF the country-well-" He paused
remembering that it was only Florence
he addressed; ana he withhold from
uucrancc his opinion that the Civil
war ought to be fought ali over again.
"YcMr 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, expect she didn't" said Flor
cncc. "Alr. Dill, l was goin' to ask
you somcpn-it's kind of queer kind
OF question for me TO ask, 1 guess
she paused. However, he did not inter-
rupt her, seeming preoccupicd with
gloom; whcrcupOn Florence permitted
herself deprecatOry laugh and con-
t!nued: ut might be you'd answer yes,
or it might be you'd answer no; but
anyway l was soin' to ask you-it's
kind of funny question for me to ask,
L cXpcct-but do you like poetry?"
"What?"
"Wcll, as things have turned out
lately l guess it's kind OF a funny
question, Mr.. Dill; but do you like
poctry?"
Mobiles expression took on n cold
ness; for the word brought to his
mind a thought of Newland Saunders.
This was poet of Mobiles age, who
wrote verses to Julia-that too-lovcly,
absent aunt of Florencc's. "Do 1 like
poctry?" said Noble. mo, I don't"
Florence was momentarily dscour-
aged but at her age people usually
possess an invaluable faculty which
they lose later in life; and it is pity
they do lose it. At thirtecn-cspccial-
ly 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
dren Supcrbly allow themselves to be-
come deaf, so to speak, to undesirable
circumstances; most frequently, Of
course, to undesirable circumstances
In the way of parental direction; so
that fathers, mothers, nurses, or gov
ernesScS not cOmprehending that this
oil 1nof ffn &C.. f,, l.
entirely genuine, are liable to hoarse.
ness both Of throat and temper. Thlr-
teen Is an age when the fading Of this
gift or talent--one of the most beau
tiful Of chlldhood-begins to impair
it's helpfulness, under the mistaken
stress Of discipline; but Florence re-
tanned something Of It. In moment
or two Noble Dill's disaffection toward
poetry was altogether as If it did not
exist.
She coughed, inclined her head
little to one side, in her mothers
manner Of politeness to callers, and,
repeating her deprecatory laugh, re-
marked, "Well, of course it's kind Of
funny question. for me to ask, of
course"
"What is, Florence2" Noble inquired
abscntly.
"Well-what I was saying was that
course It's sort Of queer me askin'
if you liked poetry, of course, on &C.
count Of my writing poetry the way
do now"
She looked up at him with bright
readiness to respond modestly to
whatever exclamation his wonder
should dictate; but Mobiles attention
had struggled again. He failed to
comprehend what she had set before
him.