The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-05-09

Eeen in several times and heard it.
And / thought almost, by the way he
Spoke. that he'd come in on purpose to
Lear it: but I guess that was a mis-
take. He just put it that way so ]
wouldn't worry over it-about its
'aotherfng him. I mean
He was going to say more, maybe !;
'ut j don't know. / had to run.
heard Aunt James voice on the piazza
saying gOod-by to the lady that had
brought her home; SO. of course, L had
10 run and hang Marie in the closet
and get out Mary from the corner be
fore she saw me. And | did
By dinner-time i had on the ging.
nam dress and the hot clumsy shoes
again; and | had washed my face in
cold water so ! had got most of the
tear spots off. ! didn't want Aunt
Jane TO see them and ask questions, of
course. And 1 guess she didn't. Any
way, she didn't say anything
Father didn't say anything. either,
hut he acted queer. Aunt Jane tried
10 tell him something about the mis-
Sinnary meeting and the heather. and
great famine that was raging. Al
first he didn't say anything; then he
said. oh, yes, to be sure, how very in
teresting. and he was glad. very glad.
And Aunt Jane was so disguised, and
accused him Of being even more alb
sent-minded than usual, which was en-
'i"ai" unnecessary. she said
But even that didn't move Father a
mite. He just said, yes, yes, very like
ly; and went On scowling to himself
and stirring his coffee after he'd
drank it all up-I mean, stirring
here ii had been in the cup.
didn't know but after supper he'd
speak to me and ask me to come to
the library. / hoped he would There
were lots more things I'd like to have
said to him. But he didn't. He never
said word. He just kept scowling,
and got up from the table and went off
by himself. But he didn't go out to
the observatory, as he most generally
does. He went into the library and
shut the door.
He was there when the telephone
message came at eight o'clock. And
| what do you think? He'd forgotten he
was going to speak before the Col
| lege Astronomy club that evening !!
| Forgotten his old stars for once.
| don't know why. / did think, for a
| minute, twas cause of me-what I'd
! told him. But | knew, of course, right
| away that it couldn't be that. He'd
never forgot his stars for mel Prob
| ably he was just reading up about
some other stars or had forgotten
| how late it was, or something. Ga
| theirs always forgetting things.) But.
| anyway, when Aunt Jane called him
he got his hat and hurried off without
so much as one word TO me, who was
| standing near, or to Aunt Jane, who
WAS following him all through the hall.
| and telling him In her most I'm
| amaZed-at-yOu voice how shockingly
| absent minded he was getting to be.
| ONE WEEK LATER
Fathers been ~aWfuIly queer this
! Whole week through. / can't make
him out at all. Sometimes think he's
! glad / told him all those things in the
parlor that day / dressed up in Marie's
things, and sometimes ] think he's sor
~ and wished | hadn't.
| The very next morning he came
down to breakfast with such a funny
look on his face. He said good-morn'
ing to me three times, and all through
breakfast he kept looking over at me
with a kind of scOwl that was not
cross at ADJUST puzzled.
After breakfast he didn't go out Il
the observatory, not even into the
library. He fidgeted around the din
ing room till Aunt Jane went out
into the kitchen to give her orders te
Susie; then he burst out, all Of q
sudden:
"well, Mary, what shall we do to
day?' Just like that he said 1t, as L
we'd been doing things together ever
day of our lives.
'D-doT' / asked; and / know
showed how surprised ! was by thu
way / stammered and flushed up.
Certainly, do" he answered, impa
tient and scowling. what shall W.
DOR
"Why, Father, Il don't know"
stammered again.
Come, come of course you know 7
he cried. "You know what you wan
to do, don't your
/ shook my head. / was so aston
ished couldn't even think. And wheI
you can't think you certainly cam
talk.
Nonsense, Mary" scowled Father
"Of course you know what you wan
to dol What are you In the habit O
doing with your young friends-you
Carries and Charles. and all tn,
restT' 4
1 guess just stood and stared ant
didn't say anything; for after min
ute he cried: "Well-wellT-welI! Tn
waiting"
"Why, we've walk-and talk-an'
play games" 1 began: but right ava,
| int cd