The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-05-18

to run and hang Marie in the closet
and get out Mary from the corner be-
fore she saw me. And did.
By dinner-time l had on the ging-
ham dress and the hot clumsy shoes
again; and had washed my face in
cold water so I had got most Of the
tear spots off. l didn't want Aunt
Jane to see them and ask questions, Of
course. And l guess she didn't. Any
way, she didn't say anything.
Father didn't say anything, either,
but he acted queer. Aunt Jane tried
to tell him something about the mis-
sionary meeting and the heathen, and
a great famine that was raging. At
first he didn't say anything; then he
said, oh, yes, to be sure, how very in
teresting, and he was glad, very glad.
And Aunt Jane was so disguised, and
accused him of being even more alb
sent-minded than usual. which was en-
tirely unnecessary, she said.
But even that didn't move Father
mite. He just said, yes, yes, very like
ly; and went on scowling to himself
and stirring his coffee after he'd
drank = all up--I mean, stirring
where it had been iu the cup.
I didn't know but after supper he'd
speak to me and ask me to come to
the library. hoped be would There
were lots more things I'd like to have
said to him. But he didn't. he never
said word. He just kept scowl1ng,
and got up from the table and went off
by himself. But he didn't 60 out to
the observatory, as he most generally
does. He went into the library and
shut the door.
He was there when the telephone
message came at eight o'clock. And
what do you think?. He'd forgotten he
was going to speak before the Col
lege Astronomy club that evening!
Forgotten his old stars for once. I
don't know why. did think, for q
minute, twas cause Of me-what I'd
told him. But knew, Of course, right
away that it couldn't be that. He'd
never forgot his stars for me! Prob
| ably he was just reading up about
some other stars, or had forgotten
how late it was, or something. Ga
theirs always forgetting things.) But,
anyway, when Aunt Jane called him
he got his hat and hurried off without
50 much as one word to me, who was
standing near, or to Aunt Jane, who
was following him all through the hall.
and, telling him in her most I'm
amazed-at-you voice how shockingiy
absent-minded he was getting to be.
ONE WEEK LATER.
Fathers been awfully queer this
whole week through. I can't make
him out at all. Sometimes think he's
glad I told him all those things in the
parlor that day dressed up in Marie's
things, and sometimes think he's sor-
~ and wished hadn't.
The very next morning he came
down to breakfast with such a funny
look on his face. He said good-morn-
ing. to me three times, and all through
breakfast he kept looking over at ne
with a kind of scowl that was not
cross at ADJUST puzzled.
After breakfast he didn't go out to
the observatory, not even into the
library. he fdgeted around the din
ing room till Aunt Jane went out
into the kitchen to give her orders to
Susie; then he burst out, all Of a
sudden:
swell, Mary, what shall we do to-
dayY' Just like that he said it, as If
we'd been doing things together every
day Of our lives.
"D-do?' I asked; and I know I
showed how surprised I was by the
way I stammered and flushed up.
Certainly, do," he answered, impa-
tient and scowling. "What shall we
do?" l.
"Why, Father, II don't know" I
stammered again.
"Come, come, Of course you knoW!"
he cried. "You know what you want
to do, don't your
I shook my head. was so aston
ished couldn't even think. And when
you can't think you certainly can't
talk.
Nonsense, Mary" scowled Father.
"Of course you know what you want
to do! What are you in the habit Of
doing with your young friends-your
Carries and Charles, and all the
rest?"
guess / just stood and stared and
didn't say anything; for after a min
ute he cried: "Well-well-well? I'm
waiting"
"Why, We've walk-and falkland
play games," I began; but right away
he interrupted.
"Good! Very well, then, We'll walk.
I'm not Carrie or Charlie, but be-
lieve 1 can walk and talk-perhaps
even play games. Who knows? Come,
get your hat"
And I got my hat, and we went.