Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-06-01

first time-why, the young men aren't
going to do very much toward making
your daily life into love story.
TWO WEEKS LATER.
A queer thing happened last night.
1t was like this:
Yesterday Aunt Jane went to spend
the day with her best friend. She
said for me not to leave the house, as
some member of the family should be
there. She told me to sew an hour
weed an hour, dust the house down
stairs and upstairs, and read some i'm
proving book an hour. The rest Of
the time l might amuse myself.
Amuse myself A jolly time ] could
have all by myself! Even Father
wasn't to be home for dinner, so
wouldn't have that excitement. He
was out of town, and was not to come
hone till six o'clock.
IL was an awfully hot day. The sun
just beat down, and there wasn't a
breath of air. By noon / was simply
crazy with my stuffy, long-sleeved,
high-necked blue gingham dress and
my great clumpy shoes. It seemed all
Of sudden as if / couldps stand it
not another minute-not a single min
ute more-to be Mary, I mean. And
suddenly determined that for while,
just little while, I'd be Marie again.
Why couldn't 1? There wasn't any
body going to be there but just my
self, all day long.
/ ran then upstairs to the guest
room closet where Aunt Jane had made
me put all my Marie dresses and
things when the Mary ones came.
WE'LL I got out the very fullest, soft
est white dress there was there, and
the little white slippers and the silk
stockings that / loved, and the blue
silk sash, and the little gold locket
and chain that Mother gave me that
Aunt Jane wouldn't let me wear. And
I dressed up. My, didn't I dress up?
And just threw those old heavy shoes
and black cotton stockings into the
corner, and the blue Bingham dress
after them Though Mary went right
hung it in the closet, of course) but
1 had the fun of throwing it, anyway.
Oh, how good those Marie things did
feel to Mary's hot, dried flesh and
bones, and how did dance and sing
around the room In those light little
slippers! Then Susie rang the dinner
bell and l went down to the dining
room feeling like a really truly young
lady, I can tell you.
Susie stared, of course, and said,
my, how fine we are today!" But l
didn't mind Susie.
After dinner went out into the hall
and / sang all over the house. Then
I went into the parlor and played
every lively thing that could think
of on the piano. And sang there,
too-silly little songs that Marie used
to sing to Lester. And / tried to
think / was really down there to Bos--
ton, singing to Lester; and that Moth
er was right in the next room waiting
for me.
Then / stopped and turned around
on the piano stool, and the room was
lust as still as death. And / knew
I wasn't in Boston. 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 1 had got to have three whole
months more Of 1t.
And then is when / began to cry
And 1 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 meanT
I jumped up and stood "at atten-
tion," the way you have to, of course,
when fathers speak to you.
Eyes, sir" tried not to have my
voice shake as said it; but couldn't
quite help that
"What is the meaning of this, Mary!
Why are you crying?"
I shook my head. l didn't want to
tell him, of course; so l just STAN
mered out something about being sorry
/ had disturbed him. Then I edged
toward the door to show him that If
he would step one side would 60
away at once and not bother him any
longer.
(TO BE coNTINUED)