The Hope pioneer., 1922-08-03
CHAPTER VlII-continued.

"She was my dear She was very
lovely. But it wasn't Just that-ft was
q joyous something that | could not
describe. Ii was as If she were a
bird, poised for flight. | know it now
for what ii waS-the very incarnation
of the spirit Of youth. And she was
young. Why, alary, she was not SO
many years older than you yourself,
now. You aren't sixteen yet. And
your mother---1 suspect she was too
Young. If she hadn't been quite so
young"
He stopped and stared again
straight ahead at the dancers-with
out seeing one OF them, knew. Then
he drew great deep sigh that seemed
to come from the very bottom of his
boots.
"But it was my fault, my fault,
every bit of it, he muttered, still star
ing straight ahead. eff hadn't been
so thoughtless- AS If I could i'm
prison that bright spirit Of youth in a
great dull cage of conventionality, and
not expect it to bruise it's wings by
fiuttering against the bars!"
And right there and then it came to
me that Mother said 1t was her fault.
too; and that if only she could live it
over again. she'd do differently. And
here was Father saying the same thing.
And oil of sudden l thought, well,
why can't they try it over again, if
they both want to, and if each says
e. thofp-nn b{S hprS-V.ol1
his and her fault (How does the
thing go? hate grammarD But
mean, If she says it's her fault, and he
says it's his. That's What l thought,
anyway. And determined right then
and there to give them the chance to
Try again. If speaking would do it.
looked up at Father. He was still
talking half under his breath, his eyes
booking straight ahead. He had for
gotten all about me. That was plain
to he seen. If I'd been cup of coffee
without any coffee in 1t, he'd have
been stirring me. know he would.
He was like that.
"Fatter Father" l had to speak
twice, before he heard me. "Do you
really mean that you would like to try
.again:" l asked
"Eh? What?" And just the way he
turned and looked at me showed how
rnany miles he'd been away from me-
"1ry it again, YOU know-what you
said" | reminded him.
'Oh, that!" Such a funny look came
to his face. half ashamed, half vexed.
"I'm afraid l have baen-talking. my
dear"
''Yes, but would you?" l persisted.
He shook his head; then. With such
an oh-that-it-could-be smile, he said :
"Of coursp-we all wish that we
could 90 back and do it over again
differently. But we never can"
'Ycs. but Father, you can go back,
IN this case and so can Mother, cause
YOU both want to-" ! hurried on, al
most choking in my anxiety to get it
all out quickly. Sand Mother said it
was her fault. l heard her"
"Her fault!" could see that Fa
thcr did not quite understand, ever
yet
Eyes, yes Just as you said it was
yours-about all those things at the
first sou know. when-wl!en she wa:
spirit of youth beating against the
bars"
Father turned square around ant
faced me.
"Mary. what are you talking about?
he asked then. And I'd have beer
scared of his voice il it hadn't beel
for the great light that was shining
in his eyes.
But l looked into his, eyes, az;
wasn't scared; and told him every
thing. every single thng-all abou
how Mother had cried nver the littl
blue dress that day in the trunk-roOn7
and how she had shown the tarnishe
lace and said that she Lad tarnishe
the happiness Of him and Of llerse!
and of me; and that it was all he
fault; that she was thpughtlesS an
willful and eXacting and a spo:le
child: and, OH, if she c"rld only try
over again, how differently she woul
do! And there was Il lot more.
told erything-everytNing ] coul
remember. Some way, | didn't bt
licve that Mother would mind nov
after what Father had said. And
lust knew she wouldn't mind if sh
could see the look in Fathers eyes Il
talked.
He didn't interrupt me-n"t ,ol
Interruptions. He did speak out
quick little word now and then, 1
some Of the parts; nnt, once know
saw him wipe tear from his eye
After that he put up his hand and $;
with his eyes covered all the rest
the tnle J WAS talking. And he ddn
take ii down till said
"And SO. Father, that's why ! to
YOU; cause il seemed to me if yt
wanted to try again; and she Wantt
to try again, why can't You do il: o
Father. think how perfectly lovely
would be if you did, and if il WORKED
Willy, ! wouldn't care whether W;
Mary or Marie, or what WAS.