The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-05-17
Mary
Marie
Best story erer aoriitsn By
ELEANOR II. PORTER
Author If
"Psllyanna. Just Daeid.
"Dapn. " &c.

L could see EdtlerS race In the HgnL
from the window and 1t looked-wen,
I'd never seen it look like that before.
1t was as If something that had been
on it for years had dropped OF and
left it clear where before 1t had been
blurred and indistinct. No, that
doesn't exactly describe it either. I
can't describe it. But I'll go on and
say what he said.
After Mrs. Small had gone into the
house, and he saw that she was sit
ting down with Cousin Grace In the
library, he turned to me and said:
"And so you came as MaryY
l said yes, l did.
"WeIl, II got ready for Marie"
But then / didn't quite understand,
not even when I looked at him and
saw the old understanding twinkle I'm
his eyes.
"You mean-you thought I was COM
ing as Marie, Of course" said then.
"Yes," he nodded.
"But came as Mary"
II see now that you did. Well, Mary,
you've told me your story, so I sup
pose may as well tell you mine-now.
You see, not only got ready for
Marie, but I had planned to keep her
Marie, and not let her be Mary-at
ALL
And then he told me! He told me
how he'd never forgotten that day In
the parlor when I cried and he saw
then how hard 1t was for me to live
here, with him so absorbed In his
work and Aunt Jane so stern In her
black dress. And he said put it very
wildly when I talked about being
Marie in Boston, and Mary here, and
he saw just how 1t was. And so he
thought and thought about II all win
ter, and wondered what he could do.
And after time 1t came to him-he'd
let me be Marie here; that Is, he'd try
to make 1t so I could be Marie. And
he was just wondering how he was
going to get Aunt Jane to help him
when she was sent for and asked to
go to an old friend who was sick.
And he told her to go, by all means to
go. Then he got Cousin Grace to come
here. He said he knew Cousin Grace,
and he was sure she would know how
to help him to let me stay Marie. So
he talked it over with her-how they
would let me laugh, and sing and play
the piano all wanted to. and wear
the clothes I brought with me, and
be just as near as could be the way
was In Boston.
"And to think after all my prepare
ton for Marie, you should be Mary
already. when you came" he finished.
Father had covered his eyes with
his hand, as IL thinking and thinking.
just as hard as he could. And sup
pose it did seem queer to him, that
he should be trying to make me Marie,
and all the while Mother was trying
to make me Mary. And 1t seemed 50 to
me, as I began to think 1t over. T.
"And so your mother-did that,
| Father muttered; and there was the
queer little catch In his breath again.
He didn't say any more, not single
word. And after a minute he got UP
and went into the house. But he
didn't go into the library where Mrs
Small and Cousin Grace were talking
He went straight upstairs to his Owl
room and shut the door. heard It.
And he was still there when went
up to bed afterward.
How do you suppose Mothers going
to feel when I tell her that after all
her pains Father didn't like 1t at all
He wanted me to be Marie. It's a
shame, after all the pains she took
But / won't write it to her, anyway
Maybe. I won't have to tell her, unless
she asks me.
But know it. And, pray, what am
l to do? OF course, I can act like
Marie here all right, If that is what
folks want. But can't wear Marie
for haven't single Marie thing here
They're all Mary. That's all brought
Oh, dear SUI mel Why couldn't
Father and Mother have been just the
common live-happy-ever-after kind, OF
else found out before they married
that they were unlikes9