News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-10-25


he really did care for me, and was
sorry to have me so. But, dear me
Why, he never WAS so stern and sol
emn, and oure-lny-daughter only-by-
the-order -the-court sort of way as
he was that morning.
He never even spoke at the break
fast-tabe. Gle wasn't there hardly
long enough to speak, anyway, and he
never ate thing, only shis Coffee
mean he drank it, Then he pushed
his chair back from the table and
stalked out of the room.
He went to the station with me !;
but he didn't talk there much, only to
ask IL / was sure l hadn't forgotten
anything, and was / warmly clad.
Warmly clad, indie ed And there 1t
was still August, nd hot as it could
be! But that only goes to show how
absent-minded he was, and how little
he was really thinking of me!
Well, of course, he got my ticket and
checked my trunk, and did all those
proper, necessary things; then we sat
down to wait for the train. But did
he stay with me and talk to me and
tell me how glad lie had been to have
me with him, and how sorry he was
to have me go, and all the other nice,
polite things most everybody thinks
they've got to say when visitor goes
away? He did not. He asked me
again If l was sure / had not left any
thing, and was l warmly clad; then he
took out his newsI aper and began to
read. That is, he pretended to read;
but l don't believe he read much, for
he never turned the sheet once; and
twice, when lool ed at him, he was
looking fixedly at me, as if he was
thinking Of something. So l guess he
was just pretending to read so he
wouldn't have to talk to me.
But he didn't ev en- do that long, for
he got up and went over and looked at
q map hanging on the wall opposite,
and at a big time-r able near the other
corner. Then he looked at his watch
again with n'tthat-train-ever-
come? air, and walked back to me and
sat down.
And how do vol. suppose l felt, to
have him act like that before all those
show so plainly that he was
just longing to have me go? guess he
wasn't any more anxious for that train
to come than I was. And it did seem
as if it never old come, too. And
it didn't come for ages. 1t was ten
minutes late.
Oh, I did so hope he wouldn't go
down to the juncti on. It's so hard to
be taken care of because it's my duty,
you knOw!" But he went. / told him
he needn't, when he was getting on
the train with me. l told him just
knew i could do il beautifully all by
myself, almost-a-yo ing lady like me.
But he only put his lips together hard,
and said, cold, like ice: Are you then
so eager to be rid of me?" Just as If
was the one that was eager to get
I'D Of somebody
Well as l said, he went. But he
wasn't much better on the train than
ne had been In the station. He>was as
nervous and fidget1 as a witch, and he
acted as If he did 10 wish it would be
over, and over quick. But at the
the jui ction a funny thing |
He pul me on the train, |
ust as Mother haG done, and spoke to |
he conductor. q ow / hated to have |
lin do that! Thy, I'm six whole
months older, mo: t, than l was when
went up there y And then, when |
led put me in ~ seat (Father, | !
mean; not the con, uctor), all of a sud T
len he leaned o, er and kissed me;
,issed me-Fathel ! Then, before l
ould speak, Or e. en- look at him, he
vas gone; and l { dn't see him again,
hough it must h re been five whole [
minutes before tn; train went.
l had a nice II p down to Boston,
hough nothing mi CHI happened. This
onductor was moi near so nice and
'olite as the one l had coming up;
nd there wasn't any lady with a
ably to play with, nor any nice young
Gentleman to loan me magazines or
NY candy for me. But 1t wasn't very
Dng ride from the junction to Boston,
nyway. So l didn't mind. Besides.
knew l had Mother waiting for me-
And wasn't l clad to get theref
Veil, just guess l was And they
cted as If they were glad to see me-
Iother, Grandfather, Aunt Hattie, and
ven Baby Lester. He knew me, and
me. He'd grown a lot,
90. And they said had, and that l
1oked very nice. Il forgot to say that,
f course, l had put on the Marie
lothes to come home in-though l
onestly think Aunt Jane wanted to
end me home In Mary's blue Bingham
nd calfskin shoes AS if I'd have APP
cared in Boston in that rigD
N.Y. but it was good to get into an
utomobile again and just go! And it
as so good to have folks around you
ressed. in something besides don't-care
lack alpaca and stiff collars And l
hid so. And Mother seemed so
leased.
you did want to come back to me,
n t.Iipu IfIrtf x,a,, H.