The Jasper news., 1922-08-03
CHAPTER V-contlnued.

But at the table that noon Aunt
Jane read II to Father out loud. so
that's how | came tv know just what
was In 1t. She started first to hand 1t
over to him to read but as he put cut
his hand TO take It guess he saw
the handwriting, for he drew back
quickly, looking REQ and queer.
"From Mrs. Anderson TO your" he
asked. And when Aurt lane nodded
her head he sat still farther back In
his chair and said, with little wave
of his hand, ~ never care 20 read
other peoples letters"
Aunt Jane said, "S:uff and nonsense,
Charles, don't be sillyT Put she
pulled back the letter and read it
after giving kind OF an uneasy
glance In my direction.
Then Aunt Jane cleared her throat
and spoke.
you will not let acr go, of course,
Charles; but naturally | had to read
the letter to you. will write to Mrs.
Anderson tonight"
Father looked up then.
"Yes," he said quietly; "and you
may tell her, please, that Mary Will
60"
"Charles!"
Aunt Jane said thnt. But IL al
most ran around the table and Rugged
him. (Oh, how wish he was the kind
of a father you could do that tod
"Charles I" said Aunt Jane again.
"Surely you aren't going to give In so
tamely as this to that child and her
motherp
I'm not giving n at oil. Jane" said
Father, very quietly again. IL am con-
sulting my own wishe;. In the matter.
prefer to have her 60"
most cried out then. Some way,
it hurt to have him say It like that,
right out-that he wanted me TO go.
You see, I'd begun to think he was
getting so he didn't mind so very much
having me here. All the last two
weeks he'd been different. really diff
ferent. But more of that anon. I'll
60 on with what happened at the table.
And, as said, | did feel bad to have
him speak like that. And / can re-
member now Just how the lump came
right up In my throat.
Then Aunt Jane spoke, stiff and dig
nifled.
"Oh, very we'll ~ course, II you put
It that way. / can quite we'll under
stand that you would want her to go
for your sake. But l thought that,
under the circumstances, =Ou would
manage somehow to put up with the
noise and"
"Jsne" Just llk- that he interrupt
ed, and he thundered. too, so that
Aunt Jane actually jumped. And
guess l did, too. He had sprung to
his feet. "Jane, let us close this mat
ter once sor nll. am not letting the
child go for my sake. am letting
her 60 for her own. So far as l am
concerned. If consulted no ones
wishes but my own. I should-keep
her here always"
But only for q minute did l stare.
1t came to me then what he had said
that he would like to keep me here
always. For !. had heard 1t, even II he
had said the last word very low, and
in a queer, indistinct voice. ! was
sure | had heard 1t, and ] suddenly
realized what It meant. So ! ran after
him; and that time, II ! had found
him, / think | would have hugged him
But ] didn't find him. He must have
gone quite away from the house. He
wasn't even out to the observatory.
went out to zee.
The next day he vas more as he ha!
been since we had that talk in tn,
parlor. And he has been dlfferen
since then, you know. He really has
He has talked quite lot with me, al
have said, and think he's been try
ing, part Of the time, to find something
Pll be interested In. Honestly, thlnl
he's been trying to make up for CARR,
Haywood and Stella Mayhew anC
Charlie Smith and MIR. Livingstone.
think that's why he took me to wall
that day In the woods, and why h,
took me out to the observatory to SCI
the stars quite a number of times
Twice ne's asked me TO play to him
and once he asked me If Mary WASH
about ready TO dress up in Marie
clothes again. But he was jokinj
then. knew, for Aunt Jane was righ
there In the house. Besides ] saw tn
twinkle in his eyes hat I've seen ther
once or twice before. ! Just love tina
twilkle in Fathers eyesl
But that hasn't come any sine