The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-05-23

lure III InelE cOuScAI AAol SAouio
visit Helen at Easter time. So went.
Helen lived In New York. Their
home was q Fifth avenue mansion with
nine servants, four automobiles and
two chauffeurs. Naturally such q scale
Of living was entirely new to me, and
correspondingiy fascinating. From the
deliberately uniformed footman that
opened the door for me to the awe
some French maid who did" my hair,
I adored them all, and moved as In
dream of enchantment. Then came
Jerry home from a week ends trip
and I forgot everything else.
I knew fran the minute his eyes
looked into mine that whatever / had
been before, I was now certainly no
mere "Oh, some friend Of Helen's." I
was ESQ his eyes said) "a deucedly
pretty girl. and one we'll worth Gull
tivating" whereupon he began at
once to do the "cultivating."
In less than thirty-six hours ] was
caught up In the whirlwind OF his
wooing. and would not have escaped
1t II I could
When I went back to college he held
my promise that II he could gain the
consent of Father and Mother. he
might put the engagement ring on my
finger.
Back at college, alone In my own
room. drew a long breath, and began
to think 1t was the first chance had
had. for even Helen now had become
Jerry-by reflection.
The more thought. the more fright
ened, dismayed, and despairing be-
came. In the clear light Of calm. sane
reasoning, it was all so absurd. so i'm
possible! What could I have been
thinking Of? I must forget Jerry.
I pictured him in Andersonville, In
my own home. tried to picture him
talking to Father, to Mother.
Absurd, What had Jerry to do with
learned treatises on stars, or with the
humdrum, everyday life Of q stupid,
small town? For that matter, what
had Father and Mother to do with
dancing and motoring and painting
society queens portraitsI Nothing.
Plainly, even II Jerry. for the sake
of the daughter liked Father and
Mother, Father and Mother certainly
would not like Jerry, That was GER
tain.
that night. That was to be expected.
Jerry was the world; and the world
was lost There was nothing left ex-
cept, perhaps, q few remnants and
pieces, scarcely worth the counting
excepting. Of course, Father and Moth
er. But one could not always have
ones father and mother. There would
come a time when
Jerry's letter came the next day
by special delivery. He had gone
straight home from the station and be-
gun to write to me. (How like Jerry
that was-particularly the special
delivery stampD The most Of his let
ter, aside from the usual lovers rhap-
sodies, had to do with plans for the
summer-what we would do together
at the Westons' summer cottage In
Newport. He said he should run up
to Andersonville early - very early
just as soon as was back from col
lege In fact, so that he might meet
Father and Mother, and put that ring
on my finger.
And while I read the letter, I 5ust
knew he would do IL. Why. I could
even see the sparkle Of the ring on
my finger. But In i've minutes after
the letter was folded and put away,
I knew, with equal certitude-that he
wouldn't
I had been at home exactly eight
hours when a telegram from jerry
asked permission to come at once.
AS gently as I could I broke the
news to Father anu Mother. He was
Helen's brother. They must have
heard me mention him. I knew him
well. very well, inueed. In fact, the
purpose Of this visit was to ask them
for the hand Of their daughter.
Father frowned and scolded, and
said, "Tut, tut 70 and that was Meth
ing but a child But Mother smiled
and shook her head. even while she
sighed, and reminded him that was
twenty-five whole years older than
she was when she married him |:
though In the same breath she ad-
mitted that was young. and she Ger
tainly hoped I'd be willing to wait BE-
fore married, even IL the young man
was all that they could ask him to be.
Father was still a little rebellious, I
think. but Mother-bless her dear
sympathetic heart soon convinced
him that they must at least consent
to see this Gerald Weston. SO sent
the wire inviting him to come.
Jerry came-and he had not been
five minutes In the house before 1t
might easily have seemed that he had
always been there. He did know about
stars: at least. he talked with Father
about them. and so as to hold Fathers
interest. toe. And he knew lot about
innumerable things In which Mother
was interested. He stayed four days /;
and all the while he was there, I never
! so much as thought Of tremendous