The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1922-07-13

inS, Mary" and "GOod-night." And
50 far as most of his actions are CON
cerned you wouldn't think 10y them
that he knew | was in the house. Yet,
over and over again nj the table. and
at times when l didn't even know he
was round, I've found him watching
me, and with such "A queer. funny look
in his eyes. Then, very quickly al
ways. he looks right away.
But last night he didn't. And that's
especially what | wanted To write
about today. And this is the way il
happened:
Ii was after supper. and | had gone
into the library. Father had gone our
10 the observatory as usual, and Aunt
Jane had gone upstairs To- her room as
usual, and as usual | was wandering
round looking for something To do.
wanted to play on the piano. but
didn't dare to--not with all those
dcad-hair and waX-howcr folks in the
parlor watching me. and the chance OF
Fathers coming in as he did before.
was standing in the window star
ing out al uorhinI-it wasn't quite
dark yrt-when again had that queer
feeling that somebody was looking at
me. turued-and there was Father.
He had come in and was sitting in the
big chair by the table. But this time
give me chance to slip quietly out
of the room. as | always had before.
Instead he said:
What are you doing there. Nary
Just Hooking ont the window"
"Come here. | want to talk to you"
Yes. Father"
went, of course. at once. and SAT-
down in the chair near him. He
hitchcd again in his seat.
"Why don't you do something-read.
sew, knit" he demanded. why do |
always find you moping around, doing
nothing?'
Just like that he said it; and when
he had just told me
why, Father" | cried; and I know
that l showed how surprised l was.
II thought you just said l couldn't do
nottingham nobody could
"Eh? What, Tut, tut" He seemed
very angry ut first; then suddenly he
looked sharply into my face. Next, if
you'll believe it, he lauGhed-the
queer little chuckle under his breath
that I've heard him give two or three
times when there was something he
thought was funny. "Humph." he
grunted. Then he gave ME another
sharp look out of his eyes. and said A.:
Il don't think you meant that 10 be
quite 50 impertinent as it sounded
Mary, so We'll let 1t pass-this time.
I'll put my Qeestion this way: Don't
you ever knit or read or sew?'
Il do sew every day in Aunt James
room. ten minutes hemming, ten min
utes scanning. and ten minutes baSting
patchwork squares together. l don't
know how 10 knit"
How about reading? Don't you
care for reading?"
why, of course l do. love It"
cried. And l do read lots-at
home.-
"At-hOmeT'
knew. then, of course. that I'd
made another awful break There
wasn't any smile around Fathers eyes
now, and his lips came together hard
and thin over that last word.
"At-at my home" stammered. 81
mean, my other home"
"Humph. ~ grunted Father. Then
after minute: But why, pray, can't
you read here? I'm sure there are
books enough" He flOurished his
hands toward the bookcases all
around the room.
"Oh. / do-a little; but. you see
Tn so afraid I'll leave some of them
out when I'm through" l explained.
"Well. what of it? What if you dO?'
he demanded.
"Why, Father" l tried to show by
the way | said it that he knew-of
course he knew. But he made me tell
him right out that Aunt Jane wouldn't
like Il. and that the books always had
to he kept exactly where they be-
lOnged.
We'll why not? Why shouldn't
they? Aren't books down therein
Boston-kept where they belong
pray?"
Ii was the first time since I'd come
that he'd ever mentioned Boston; and
I almost Jumped out of my chair when
| heard him. But | soon saw it wasn't
going TO be the last, for right then
and there he began 10 question me,
even worse than iunt Jane had.
He'd been up on his feet, tramping
I'D and down the room all the time
I'd been talking; and now, all of a
sudden, he wheels around and stops
short.
How is-your mother, Nary he
asks. And 1t was just as If he'd
opened the door to another room, he
had such a whole lot of questions TO
ask after that. And when he'd fin
ished he knew everything: what time
we got up and went TO bed, and what
we did all day, and the parties and
dinners and auto rides, and the folks
that came such lot to see Mother.
Then all of a sudden he stopped
asking questions, ! r0ean. He stopped
inst as suddenly as he'd begun. Why,
was right in the middle of telling
about q concert for charity we got up