The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-05-03
Mary
Marie
Best story euss tDritten By
ELEANOR III. PORTER
Author q
"Peugaana. Inst Dasil.
''Datcn. ete.


my seat and wondered and wondered
what the next six months were going
to be like. And I wondered. too, IL
I'd forgotten how to be Mary"
Dear mel How shall ever re-
member not to run and skip and laugh
loud or sing, or ask questions, or do
anything that Marie wants to dor I
thought to myself. And wondered IL
Aunt Jane would meet me, and what
she would be like. She came once
when was a little girl Mother said
but I didn't remember her.
Well, at last we got to Anderson
Vile. John was there with the horses,
and Aunt Jane, too. OF course knew
she must be Aunt Jane, because she
was with John. The conductor was
awfully nice and polite, and didn't
leave me till he'd seen me safe In the
hands Of Aunt Jane and John. Then
he went back to his train, and the next
minute 1t had whizzed out Of the sta
ton, and was alone with the begin
ming Of my next six months.
The first beginning was a nice
smile, and q "Glad to see ye home,
Miss" from John, as he touched his
hat, and the next was a How do
you do, MaryT' from Aunt Jane. And
/ knew right off that first minute that
wasn't going to like Aunt Jane-just
the way she said that Mary" and the
way she looked me over from head to
foot.
Aunt Jane iss tall and thin, and
wears black-not the pretty, stylish
black, but the "I-don't-care" rusty
black-and a stiff white collar. Her
eyes are the kind that says, I'm sur
prised at your all the time, and her
mouth is the kind that never shows
any teeth when 1t smiles, and doesn't
smile much, anyway. Her hair Is SONS
gray, and doesn't kink or curl any.
where; and I knew right Off the drst
minute she looked at me that she
didn't like mine, cause it did curl.
was pretty sure she didn't like
my clothes, either. I've since found
out she didn't-but more Of that anon
Il Just love that word "anon."O And
I just knew she disapproved of my
hat. But she didn't say anything
not In words-and after we'd attended
to my trunk, we went along to the car
riage and got in. My stars! I didn't
suppose horses could go so slow. Why,
we were ages just going block. You
see I'd forgotten; and without think
ing spoke right out.
"Myl Horses are slow, aren't theyr
1 cried. "You see, Grandpa has an
auto, and"
Mary '-Just like that she inter-
rupted-Aunt Jane did. Dummy how
old folks can do what they won't let
you do. Now If I'd interrupted any
body like thatD "You may as well
understand at once" went on Aunt
Jane, that we are not interested In
your grandfather's auto, or his house,
or anything that is his" q felt as IL
I was hearing the catechism In
church y "And that the less reference
you make to your life In Boston the
better we shall be pleased. AS said
before, we are not interested. Besides,
while under your fathers roof, 1t
would seem to me very poor taste, In
deed, for you to make constant refer
ence to things you may have been do
ing while not under his roof. The
situation liz deplorable enough, how
ever you take 1t, without making II
positively unbearable. You will re,
member, MaryT'
Mary said, Eyes, Aunt Jane" very
yo3ffo ap6 proper. h,$ cau fey1 Won
that inside Of Mary, Marie was just
boiling.
Unbearable, indeed!
We didn't say anything more all the
way home. Naturally, 1 was not going
to, after that speech; and Aunt Jane
said nothing. SO silence refgned su-
preme.
Then we got home. Things looked
quite natural, only there was q new
maid in the kitchen, and Nurse Sarah
wasn't there. Father wasn't there,
either. And, just as suspected, twas
q star that was to blame, only this
time the star was the moon-an
eclipse; and he'd gone somewhere out
west so he could see 1t better.
He isn't coming back till next week ;
and when I think how he made me
come on the first day, so as to get In
the whole six months, when all the
time he did not care enough about Ii
to be here himself, I'm just mad
mean, the righteously indignant kind
OF mad-for can't help thinking how
poor Mother would have loved those
extra days with her.
Aunt Jane said l was to have my
old room, and SO, as soon as got here,
I went right up and took Off my hat
and coat, and pretty quick they
brought up my trunk, and I unpacked
1t; and / didn't hurry about it, either.
1 wasn't a bit anxious to get down
stairs again to Aunt Jane. Besides,
I may as well own up, was crying
little. Mothers room was right
across the hall, and itslooked so lone
some. and I couldn't help remember