The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-02-02
PART Continued.

-
Noble looked puzzled. Surprising
90 see meT'" he said vaguely. 81
haven't been away anywhere in par
ticular. Florence" Then, at q thought,
he frightened hopefully, I'm glad 10
see you. Florence. Do you know If
any Of your family or relatives have
heard when your Aunt Julia Is coming
hOme?"
Aunt Julia? Why, she's put of
town." said Florence. "She's visiting
different people she used to know
when she was away at school,"
"Yes, | know" Mr., Dill returned.
"SlIe's been gone six weeks"
"Oh. | don't believe it's that long"
Florence said, casually: then with
more earnestness: Mr.. Dill. ! was
goin' to ask you sOmep'm; it's kind of
a funny question for me to ask, but"
Eyes, she has" Noble interrupted.
though not sensible that his remark
was an interruption. for he had bee
unaware OF Florence's voice i'm action
after the word "lOng." "Oh. yes. she
huS. iC SNitl. IL WIS Mn VEINS. uuN-
before-yeSterday afternoon. | saw
y0ur father downtown this morning.
II he said he didn't know that any of
the family had heard just when she
was coming home. thought maybe
some Of your relatives had a letter
maybe"
81 guess not" said Florence. mfr.
Dill. there was a question ! thought
I'd ask you-it's kind of a funny ques-
ton for me to-"
"Are you sure nobOdy's heard from
your Aunt Julia today?" Noble in
sisted.
Il guess they haven't. Mr.. Dill, !
was goin' to ask you"
ITS strange" he murmured. III
don't see how people a enjoy visits
that long. | Should think they'd get
anxious about what might happen al
home"
"Oh, grandpa's all right he says he
kind of likes to have the house nice
and quite to himself; and anyway
Aunt Julia enjoys visiting" Florence
assured him AUNT Fanny saw II
newspaper from one Of the places
where Aunt Julia's visiting her school
roommate, that had her picture in it
and called her the famous Northern
Beauty il was down South some
where. Well, Mr.. Dill, l Mas just say
In | believed I'd ask yor-"
d.. - ,attno-I 1910. oora1 - 80
feet the young man all at once. "Oh,
yes. ! heard about that" he said.
"Your Aunt Fanny lent my mother the
newspaper. Those people in that part
of the country-well-" He paused.
remembering that 1t was only Florence
he addressed; and he withheld from
utterance his opinion that the Civil
war ought to be fought all over again.
~Your father said your grandfather
hadn't heard from her for several days,
and even then she hadn't said when
she was CONF .tme."
"No, / ? she didn't" said Flor
ence "AIr. Dill. | was goin' to ask
you somep'n-it's kind of a queer kind
of question for me to ask, | guess"
she paused. However. he did not inter
rupt her. seeming ~preOccupled with
gloom; whereupon Florence permitted
herself a deprecatory laugh and con-
tinued: at might be you'd answer yes.
or il might be you'd answer no; but
anyway | was goin' to ask yOu-it's
kind of q funny question for me 70 ask,
/ expect-but do you like poetryr"
"What?'
"Well, as things have turned out
lately | guess it's kind Of a funny
question. Mr.. Dill; but do you like
poetryT"
Mobiles expression took on a cold
ness; for the word brought to his
mind a thought Of Newiand Saunders. |
This was a poet of Mobiles age, who |
wrote verses to .Julia-thut too-loveiy.
absent aunt of Florence's. "Do I like
poetry" said Noble. "No, I don't"
Florence was momentarily discour-
aged but at her age people usually
possess in Invaluable faculty which
they lose later In life and II is a pity
they do lose II. At thirteen-especial-
w the earlier months Of thirteen
they are still able 10 Get aside and
dismiss from their minds almost an,
facts. no matter how audihly those
facts have asked for recognition. Chill
drcn superbly allow themselves to be-
come deaf, so TO speak, 10 undesirable
circumstances most frequently. OF |
course. TO undesirable circumstances
n the way Of parental direction; 30