The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-05-09


/ wasn't in Boston. l was there In
Andersonville. And there wasn't any
Baby Lester there, nor any mother
waiting for me in the next room. And
all the fluffy white dresses and silk
stockings in the world wouldn't make
me Marie. / was really just Mary.
and had got to have three whole
months more Of IL.
And then is when ! began to cry.
And / cried just as hard as I'd been
singing a minute before. I was on
the floor with my head In my arms on
the piano stool when Fathers voice
came to me from the doorway.
MARY, Mary, what In the world
does this mean?'
I jumped up and stood Eat atten-
ton" the way you have to. Of course,
when fathers speak to you. I couldn't
help showing had been crying-hs
had seen 1t. But ! tried very hard to
stop now. My first thought, after my
startled realization that he was there,
was to woRder how long he had been
ther-how much of all that awful
Eyes, sir" tried not to have my
voice shake as said 1t; but couldn't
quite help that.
What is the meaning Of this. Maryf
Why are you cryingT
] shook my head. / didn't want to
tell him. of course: so ] lust STAN
mered out something about being sorry
/ had disturbed him. Then edged
toward the door to show him that II
he would step one side / would go
away at once and not bother him any
longer.
But he didn't step one side. He
asked more questions, one right after
another.
"Are you sick, Mary?"
1 shook my head.
did you hurt yourselfY
I shook my head again.
ut isn't-your mOther-you haven't
had bad news from herr
And then / blurted 1t out without
Neutrality-suspicious. thinking at all what
! l was saying: "No, no-but / wish
had. wish had; cause then could
go to her, and go away from hereI"
The minute I'd said 1t knew what I'd
said, and how awful it sounded and
clapped my fingers to my lips. But t
was too late. It's always too late,
when you've once said 1t. So just
waited for him to thunder out his
anger; for, of course, / thought he
would thunder in rage and righteous
indignation.
But he didn't. Instead, very quietly
and gently he said:
"Are you so unhappy, then, Mary
here?'
And / looked at him, and his eyes
and his mouth and his whole face
weren't angry at ALL They were just
sorry, actually sorry. And somehow,
before / knew 1t, i was crying again,
and Father, with his arm around me
with his arm around me! think Of
that was leading me to the sofa.
And / cried and cried there, with my
head on the arm of the sofa, till I'd
made big tear spot on, the linen
cover; and wondered If it would dry
up before Aunt Jane saw it, or If 1t
would change color or leak through to
the red plush underneath, or some
other dreadful thing. And then, some
way, ] found myself telling it all over
to Father-about Mary and Marie, I
| mean, just as If he was Mother, or
some one I loved-I mean, some one ]
loved and wasn't afraid of; for of
course / love Father OF course do
Well, I told him everything (when !
got started there was no .stopping)-
all about how hard it was to be Mary,
and how today had tried to be Marie
for just little while, to rest me. He
interrupted here, and wanted to know
| If that was why / looked so different
| today-more as / had when i first
came; and I said yes, that these were
And when he asked, "Why, prayr In
a voice almost cross, / told him, of
| course, that Aunt Jane wouldn't let
| me; that Mary had to wear brown
serge and calfskip boots that were
| durable, and that would wear well.
And when told him how sorry
was about the music and such a noise
was Marie's fault, too; and l said yes
| of course-that Aunt Jane didn't like
! to have Mary play at all, except
hymns and funeral marches. and Mary
didn't know any. And he grunted a
queer little grunt, and said, well,
well, upon my soul, upon my soul -
Then he said. go on" And l did go
| on.
l told him how was afraid 1t was
going to be just like DIR. Jekyll and
Mr.. Hyde. Il forgot to say I've read
it now. found it in Fathers library
| OF course not just like it, only one OF
me was going to be bad, and one good
| was afraid, If I didn't look out.
told him how Marie always wanted tc
/ kick up rugs, and move the chairs out
of their sockets in the carpet, and
leave books around handy, and such
| things. And SO today it seemed as ID