The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-05-18

And 1 cried just as hard as I'd been
singing a minute before. 1 was on
the floor with my head in my arms on
the piano stool when Fathers voice
came to me from the doorway.
"Mary, Mary, what in the world
does this mean?'
I Jumped up and stood "at atten-
tion," the way you have to, Of course,
when fathers speak to you. 1 couldn't
help showing I had been crying-he
had seen it. But I tried very hard to
stop now. My first thought, after my
startled realization that he was there,
was to wonder how long he had been
there-how much of all that awful
singing and banging he had heard.
Eyes, sir" 1 tried not to have my
voice shake as I said it; but I couldn't
quite help that.
"What is the meaning of this, Mary?
Why are you crying"
I shook my head. I didn't. want to
tell him, of course; so I just stam-
mered out something about being sorry
I had disturbed him. Then l edged
toward the door to show him that II
he would step one side I would go
away at once and not bother him any
longer.
But he didn't step one side. He
asked more questions, one right after
another.
"Are you sick, Maryr' :. :,
shook my head.
"Did you hurt yourselfY
I shook my head again.
1T isn't-your mother-you haven't
had bad news from herT
And then I blurted it out without
thinking-without thinking at all what
I was saying: mo, sno-but l wish I
had, I wish I had; cause then I could
go to her, and 60 away from here!"
The minute I'd said it I knew what I'd
said, and how awful it sounded; and I
clapped my fingers to my lips. But t
was too late. It's always too late,
when you've once said it. So just
waited for him to thunder out his
anger; for, Of course, I thought he
would thunder In rage and righteous
Indignation.
But he didn't. Instead, very quietly
and gently he said:
"Are you so unhappy, then, Mary
here?" ......''
nd m Of -
and his mouth and his whole face
weren't angry at all. They were just
sorry, actually sorry. And somehow,
before I knew it, I was crying again,
and Father, with his arm around me-
with his arm around me! think Of
that!-was leading me to the sofa.
And I cried and csied there, with my
head on the arm Of the sofa, till I'd
made a big tear spot on the, linen
cover; and wondered If It would dry
up before Aunt Jane saw it, or If it
would change color or leak through to
the red plush underneath, or some
other dreadful thing. And then, some
way, I found myself telling it all over
to Father-about Mary and Marie, I
mean, just as if he was Mother, Or
some one loved-I mean, some one
loved and wasn't afraid Of; for Of
course love Father. Of course do!
Well, I told him everything (when
got started there was no stopping)-
all about how hard it was to be Mary,
and how today had tried to be Marie
for just q little while, to rest me. he
interrupted here, and wanted to know
if that was why looked so different
today-more as I hade when I first
came; and I said yes, that these were
Marie things that Mary couldn't wear.
And when he asked, "Why, pray?" in
a voice almost cross, I told him, OF
course, that Aunt Jane wouldn't let
me; that Mary had to wear brown
serge and calfskin boots that were
durable, and that would wear well.
And when I told him how sorry I
was about the music and such noise
as I'd been making, he asked If that
was Marie's fault, too; and said yes,
Of course-that Aunt Jane didn't like
to have Mary play at all, except
hymns and funeral marches, and Mary
didn't know any. And he grunted q
queer little grunt, and said, "Well,
we'll, upon my soul, upon my soul!'
Then he said, $50, on" And I did 90
on.
told him how was afraid It was
going to be just like DR.. Jekyll and
Mr.. Hyde. Il forgot to say I've read
it now. I found it in Fathers library)
Of course not just like it, only one Of
me was going to be bad, and one good,
I was afraid, If I didn't look out. 1
told him how Marie always wanted to
kick up rugs, and move the chairs out
of their sockets in the carpet, and
leave books around handy, and such
things. And 80 today it seemed as If
I'd just got to have vacation from
Mary's hot gingham dresses and
clumsy shoes. And I told him how
lonesome I was without anybody, not
onvhodv. and told ahout Charlie