The St. Johns herald., 1922-11-16

be facetious. Filling teethF' he would know. Marrying folks, then?" Assistant justice or assistant dentist which?
 Bobby blushed No, no, but in that big building of Mr. Deacon's where his It faded from him, sounded ridiculous. Of course there was noth- ing. He saw 1t now.
 There was nothing. MT. Deacon confirmed him. But MT. Deacon had an Idea. Hold on, he said-hold on. The grass. Would Bobby consider taking charge of the grass? Though MT. Deacon was of the type which cuts its own grass and glories in It's vigor and its energy, yet in the time after that which he called dental hours" Mr. Deacon wished to work in his garden. His grass, growing in late April rains, would need attention early next month he owned two lots -"of course property is a burden" If Bobby would care to keep the grass down and raked Bobby would care, accepted this business oppOr- tunity, figures and all, thanked MT. Deacon with earnestness. BObby's aversion to Di, 1t seemed, should not stand in the way of his advancement.
 "Then that Is checked off," said MT. Deacon heartily.
 Bobby wavered toward the door, emerged on the porch, and ran almost upon Di returning from her tea party at Jenny Flows.
 "Oh, BObbyI You came to see mel"
 She was as fluffy, as curly, as smil- ing as her picture. She was carrying pink, gauzy favOrs and a spear of flowers. Undeniably in her voice there was pleasure. Her glance was startled but already complacent. She paused on the steps, lovely figure.
 But one would gay that nothing but the truth dwelt in Bobby.
 "Oh, nullo," said he. "No. I came to see your father"
 He marched by her. His hair stuck up at the back. His coat was hunched about his shoulders. His insufficient nose, abundant, loose-lipped mouth and brown eyes were completely ex- preSSiOnless. He marched by her with out glance.
 She flushed with vexation. MT. Dea- con, as one would expect, laughed loudly, took the situation in his ele- phantine grasp and paved at it.
 Mamma Mamma What do you s'pOse? Di thought she had a beau"
 "Oh, papal" said Di "Why, I just hate Bobby Larkin and the whole school knows it."
 Mir. Deacon returned to the dining room, humming in his throat He en- tered upon a pretty scene.
 His Ina was alarming. Four minutes of grace remaining to the child Mo- mona, she was spinning on one toe with some Bacchanalian idea of mak- ing the most of the present. Di domi- mated, her ruff1es, her blue hose, her bracelet, her ring.
 "Oh, and mamma sie said, "the sweetest party and tie dearest SUD- per and the darlingest decorations and the gorgeousest-"
 Grammar, grammar" spoke Dwight Herbert Deacon. He was not sure what he meant, but the good fellow felt some violence done somewhere or other.
 Well" said Di positively, they were. Papa, see my favor"
 She showed him a sugar dove, and he clucked at 1t.
 Ina glanced at them fOndly, her face assuming it's loveliest light. She was often ridiculous, but always she was the happy wife and mother, and her | role reduced her individual absurdities at least to its own.
 The door to the bedroom now opened and Mrs. Bett appeared.
 "Well, mother p cried Herbert, the "well" curving like an arm, the mother descending like brisk slap. | Hungry now2"
 Mrs Bett was hungry now. She had | intending to pass through the room without speaking and find food | in the pantry. By obscure processes her son-in-law's tone inhibited all this.
 "No," she said. "Pm not hungry"
 Now that she was there, she seemed uncertain what to do. She looked | from one to another a bit hOpelessly, somehow foiled in her dignity. She brushed at her skirt, the veins of her long, wrinkled hands catching an in- tenser blue from the dark cloth. She put her hair behind her ears.
 we put a potato in the oven for you," said Ina. She had never learned quite how to treat these periodic re- fusals of her mother to eat, but she never had ceased to resent them.
 "No, thank you," said Mrs. Bett. Evidently she rather enjoyed the situ-