The Jasper news., 1922-05-25
CHAPTER ~
The Break is Made.


And that's the way. Nurse Sarah
finished her story, only she shrugged
her shoulders again, and looked back,
first one way, then another. As for
her calling me "chatterbOx"-she al
ways calls me that when she's been
doing all the talking.
AS near as can remember. have
told Nurse Sarah's story exactly us she
told 1t TO me. In her own words. But
Of course l know didn't get 1t right
all the time, and know I've left out
quite a lot. But, anyway, It's told
whole lot more than could have told
why they got married In the first place,
and 1t brings my story right up to the
point where was born; and I've al
ready told about naming me, and what
time they had over that.
OF course what's happened since,
up to now. / don't know all about, for
| was only child for the first few
years. Now I'm almost young lady,
standing with reluctant feet where
the brook and river meet" Il read
that last night. ! think it's perfectly
beautiful. So kind Of sad and sweet.
II makes me want to cry every time
l think Of it, But even II ! don't
know all OF what's happened since
! was born, know a good deal, for
I've seen quite n lot, and I've made
Nurse tell me q lot more.
know that ever since can remem-
Der I've had TO keep as still as a mouse
the minute Father comes into the
house; and | know that never could
imagine the kind OF a mother that
Nurse tells about, II II wasn't that
sometimes when Father has gone on
on trip, Mother and have romped
all over the house, and had the most
beautiful time. | know that Father
says that Mother is always trying 70
make me Marie" and nothing else |;
and that Mother says she knows
Father'll never be happy until he's
made me into a stupid little "Mary,"
with never an atom of life of my
own. And, do you known II does seem
| sometimes, as If Mary and Marie were
| fighting inside of me, and l wonder
which is going to beat. Funny. Isn't
It?
Father is president of the college
now, and don't know how many stars
and comets and things he's dlscov-
cred since the night the star and I
were born together. But / know he's
very famous, and that he's written up
in the papers and magazines. and ls
in the big fat red who's Who" In
the library, and has lots of noted men
come TO see him.
Nurse says that Grandma Anderson
that 1t didn't make any particular diff
ference In the housekeeping; for things
went right on just as they had done
with her giving the orders as before
that she'd given them all alone any
way, mostly, the last year Grandms
Anderson lived, and she knew just
how Father liked things. She said
Mother tried once or twice to take the
reins herself, and once Nurse let her
just TO see what would happen. Bu
things got In an awful muddle righ
and said things.
1t seems that for a long time the,
didn't want folks to know there wal
going to be divorce. So before folk
they tried to be Just as usual. Blu
Nurse Sarah said she knew there wa
going to be one long ago. The hrs
| ever heard Of 1t was Nurse telling
Nora, the girl we had in the kltcheI
then; and the minute ! got chance
asked Nurse what It was--a divorce
. My, l can remember now how scare'
; she looked, and how she clapped he
J hand over my mouth. She wouldn'
tell me-not a word. And that's tn
first time l ever saw her give tina
; quick little look over each shoulder
She's done 1t lots OF times since.
AS said, she wouldn't tell me. o
had to ask some one else. WASH
going to let It go by and not find ou
not when Nurse Sarah looked 8
. scared, and when It was somethin
=. my father and mother were going {
have some day.
I ] didn't like to ask Mother. Som
! way, / had a feeling, from the wa
Nurse Sarah looked. that 1t was soma
E thing Mother wasn't going to like. An
i. thought II maybe she didn't kno'
yet she was going to have II, tbs
Q certainly l didn't want TO be the on
{ TO tell her. So I didn't ask Aothe
what a divorce was