News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-07-12

II wear. You couldn't ne Marie In these
things. Honestly, I'm feeling rea
Maryish these days.
wonder If that's why the girls
seem SO queer at school. They are
queer. Three times lately I've come
up to crowd of girls and heard them
stop talking right off short. They col.
ored up, too; and pretty quick they be-
| gan to slip away, one by one, till there
wasn't anybody left but just me, just
as they used to do in Boston. But of
course 1t can't be for the same reason
here, for they've known all along
about the divorce and haven't minded
it at all.
/ heard this morning that Stella
Mayhem had party last night. But ]
didn't get invited. OF course, you
can't always ask everybody to your
parties, but this was real big party,
and l haven't found a girl in school,
yet, that wasn't invited-but me. But
l guess 1t wasn't anything after all.
Stella Is a new girl that has come
here to live since l went away. Her
folks are rich, and she's very popular,
and Of course she has loads of friends
she had to invite; and she doesn't
know me very well. Probably that was
it. And maybe I just imagine it about
the other girls, too. Perhaps it's the
brown serge dress. Still, 1t can't be
that, for this is the first day I've worn
it. But, as said, feel Maryish al
ready.
l haven't dared to touch the piano
since that night week ago, only once
meeting, and knew Father was over
to the college. But didn't l have
good time then2 I just guess l did!
Aunt Jane doesn't care for music.
Besides, it's noisy, she says, and would
be likely to disturb Father. SO I'm not
to keep on with my music lessons here.
She's going to teach me to sew In
stead. She says sewing is much more
sensible and useful.
Sensible and useful / wonder how
many times I've heard those words
since I've been here. And durable
too. And nourishing. That's another !
word. Honestly, Marie Is getting aw-
fully tired Of Mary's sensible sewing
and busting, and her durable clumpy
shoes and stuffy dresses, and her nour-
ishing oatmeal and whole-wheat
bread. But there, what can you do?
I'm trying to remember that It's differ !
ent, anyway, and that said 1 liked
different.
Aan't soc much of Father, Still, |
there's something kind Of queer about
II, after all. He only speaks to me
about twice q day-just "Good-morn- !
ing, Mary" and Goodnight" And
so far as most of his actions are con- /
cerned you wouldn't think by them !
that he knew / was in the house. Yet, |
over and over again at the table, and
at times when / didn't even know he
was round, I've found him watching
me, and with such queer, funny look
In his eyes. Then, very quickly al
ways, he looks right away.
But last night he didn't. And that's
what I wanted to write
about today. And this is the way it
happened;
1t was after supper, and had gone
nto the library. Father had gone out
% the observatory as usual, and Aunt
lane had gone upstairs to her room as
Usual, and as usual l was wandering
round looking for something to do.
wanted to play on the piano, but
iidn't dare to-not with all those
Iead-hair and wax-fiower folks in the
'arlor watching me, and the chance of
fathers coming in as he did before.
l was standing In the window star
ng out at nothing-it wasn't quite
ark yet-when again had that queer
ceiling that somebody was looking at
1e l turned-and there was Father.
lie had come In and was sitting In the
ig chair by the table. But this time
e didn't look right away as usual and
i've me a chance to slip quietly out
the room, as always had before.
,stead he said:
What are you doing there, MaryT
"N-nothing" Father frowned and
Itched In his chair. Father always
Itchss in his chair when he's irritat-
and nervous. you can't be doing
othing. Nobody but dead man does ,
3thing-and we aren't so sure about {
m. What are you doing. MaryT
Just Hooking out the window" 4
"COme here. / want to talk to you"
Eyes, Father" '
I went, of course, at once, and sat '
own in the chair near him. He {
tched again in his seat. {
why don't you do something-read,
w, knit?" he demanded. "Why do q
ways find you moping around, doing ]
,thingT l
Just like that he said it; and when a
} had just told me J
why, FstherI" l cried; and know a
at 1 showed how surprised was. q
thought you Just said 1 couldn't do .
nobody could !" u
"EhP What Tut. tutl" he seemed d
ry angry at hrst; then suddenly he :.