Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1921-12-01

into the papers In some way.
Mrs. Atwater seemed unwilling to
yield a mysterious point. She rocked
decorously in her chair, shook her
head, and after setting her lips rigid
ly, opened them to insist that she could
never change her mind: Julia had
acted very abruptly. "Why couldn't
she have let her poor father know, at
least few days before she didT
Mr.. Atwater sighed. "Why, she ex-
plains In her letter that she only
knew 1t, herself, an hour before she
wrote"
"Her poor fathery" his wife repeat
ed commiseratingly.
"Why, Mollie, 1 don't see that faith
er's especially to be pitied."
Don't your said Mrs. Atwater.
"That old man, to have to live in that
big house all alone, except a few ne
gro servantsT
"Why, no! About half the houses
in the neighborhood, up and down the
street, are fully occupied by close rela-
tives Of his; I doubt If he'll be really
as lonely as he'd like to be. And he's
often said he'd give q great deal IL
Julia had been a plain, unpopular girl.
I'm strongly Of the opinion, myself,
that he'll be pleased about this. OF
course it may upset him little, just
at first"
Eyes; I think 1t Will" Mrs. At
water shook her head forebodingly.
"And he isn't the only one it's going
to upset"
"No, he isn't" her husband admit
ted, seriously. "That's always been
the trouble with Julia; she never could
bear to seem disappointing; and so, Of
course, I suppose every one Of 'em had
a special idea that he was really about
the top of the list with her."
every last one Of 'em was positive
of it." said Mrs. Atwater. "That was
Julia's way with 'em!"
Eyes, Julia's always been much too
kind-hearted for other peoples good"
Thus Mr. Atwater summed up-and
he was this Julia's brother. Addition
ally, since he was the older he had
known her since her birth.
"If you ask me-" said his wife, "Tll
really be surprised if it all goes
through without suicide"
"Oh, not quite suicide, perhaps" Mr..
Atwater protested. I'm glad it's a
dry state, though"
She failed to fathom his simple
meaning. "Why?"
"Well, some Of 'em might feel that
desperate at least" he explained.
prohibitions a safeguard for the dis
appointed in love-"
This phrase and a previous one
stirred Florence, who had been sitting
quietly, according to request, and
resting; but not resting her curl
osity. "WhO's disappointed in love,
papa?" she inquired with an explosive
eagerness which slightly startled her
preoccupied parents. "What is all this
about Aunt Julia, and Grandpa goin'
to live alone, and people committing
suicide and prohibition and every
thing? What Is all this, mama"
"NOthing, Florence"
Nothing! That's what you always
say about the very most interesting
things that happen in the whole fam
lily! What is all this, papa?"
"It's nothing that would be inter-
esting to little girls, Florence. Mere
ly some family matters"
"My goodness ~ Florence exclaimed.
I'm not little girl any more, papa
You're always forgetting my age! And
if it's family matter l belong to the
family, guess, about as much as any
body else, don't I? Grandpa himself
isn't any more one Of the family than
am. I don't care how old he Isl"
This was undeniable, and her father
laughed. cts really nothing you'd
care about one way or the other" he
said.
"Well, I'd care about 1t If it's a Sc
cret," Florence insisted. IF it's Sc
cret I'd want to know it whatever it's
about"
"Oh, 1t isn't a secret, particularly,
I suppose. At least, it's not to be
made public for time; it's only to
be known in the family"
"Well, didn't I just prove I'm as
much one O. the family as"
"Never mind" her father said sooth-
ingly. 81 don't suppose there's any
harm in your knowing tiff you won't
go telling everybody. Your aunt Julia
has just written us that she's en-
gagged"
Mrs. Atwater uttered an exclama-
ton, but she was too late to check
him.
whats the matterT' he asked.
"Tm afraid you oughtn't to have
told Florence. She isn't just the most
discreet"
"Pshaw!" he laughed. "She certain
ly Is one of the family, however, and
Julia wrote that all Of the family
might be told. You'll not speak of It
outside the family, will you, Flor
enceT
But Florence was not yet able to
speak Of 1t, even inside the family
so surprising, sometimes, are parents
theories Of what will not interest
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