Gunnison news-champion., 1922-05-12

II means you PROBABLY VIII want TO
marry her. you know Iuse IL all the
time now-Ln my mInd-when I'm
thinking about those gentlemen that
come here 1.-THE unmarried onesl. ]
forgot and used II out loud one day
TO Aunt Hattie: but ! shan't again
She said -Nercy,- and threw up her
hands and looked over 20 Grandpa the
way she does when I've said something
she thinks Is perfectly awful
But ] WAS nrm and dlgnlfied-but
very poiit. and pieasanf-and / said
that ] didn't see why she should &C.
I like that. for of course they were pro
I spectiye suitors. the unmarried ones.
anyway. and even some OF the married
I ones. maybe. Ike Mr.. Harlow. for ot
I course they could get divorces, and
Marie - interrupted Aunt Hattie
then. before l could say another word.
or 20 on TO explain that OF course
Mother couldn't be expected to stay
l unmarried always, though was very
sure she wouldn't get married again
until 1t was perfectly proper and gen
teel for her to take unto herself an
other husband.
But Aunt Hattie wouldn't even listen.
And she threw up her hands and said.
''Marie!" again with the emphasis on
the last part Of the name the way
simply ioathe And she told me never.
never TO LET her hear me make sueh n
speech as that again. And ! said
would be very careful not 10. And
/ you may be sure I shall. don't want
q a. ~. a.. .
She told Mother about IT. though. !
think Anyhow. they were talking very
busily together when they came into
the library after dinner that night.
and Mother looked sort Of flushed and
plagued. and I heard her say. "Per-
haps the child does read too many
novels, Hattie"
And Aunt Hattie answered, "of
course she does :" Then she said some
thing else which didn't catch, only
the words SILLY and romantic" and
'pre-co-shus." Il don't know what that
last means. but put II down the way
IL sounded. and I'm going to look II
up)
Then they turned and saw me, and
they didn't say anything more. But
the next morning the perfectly lovely
story ! was reading. that Theresa let
I me take. called The Hidden Secret"
couldn't find anywhere. And when
asked Mother II she'd seen IL. she
said she'd given II back to Theresa.
| and that | mustn't ask for Il agnjn.
That / wasn't old enough yet TO read
such stories.
There II is again, I'm not old
enough When will I be allowed TO
take my proper place in lifei Echo
answers when.
Well. to resume and go on.
What WIS l talking about! oh.
know-the prospective suitors (Aunt
Hattie can't hear me when just write
1t, anyway Well. they all come jus,
as they used TO. only there are more
of them now-two fat men. one slim
one, and man with halo OF hair
round bald spot. Oh. don't mean
that any Of them are really suitors
yet. They just come to call and to
tea, and send her flowers and candy
And Mother isn't a mite nicer to one
Z than she Is to ahy of the others. Any.
body can see that. And she shows
very plainly she's no notion OF pick.
ing anybody out yet. But Of course
can't help being interested and
watching.
II won't be Mr.. Harlow, anyway
I'm pretty sure of that. even IL he ha,
started In to get his divorce. tAnd
he has. heard Aunt Hattie tel
Mother SO last week.l But Mother
doesn't like him. I'm sure she doesn't
He makes her awfully nervous. Oh
she laughs and talks with him-seem,
as II she laughs even more with hin
than she does with anybody else. But
she's always looking around for some
body else to talk to: and I've seen hei
get up and move OF just as he wal
coming across the room toward her
and I'm just sure she saw him. There's
another reason. too. why think Moth
er isn't going to choose him for hel
him one day.
She was sitting before the fire in tn,
library. and he came in. There were
other people there. quite q lot o.
them; but Mother was all alone b,
the fireplace, her eyes looking nxet
and dreamy into the fire. I was ir
the window-seat around the corner ol
the chimney reading: and could SEX
Mother In the mirror Just rs plain a.
could be. She could have seen me
too. Of course. II she'd looked up. But
she didn't.
never even thought Of hearing
anything ! hadn't ought. and I wal
just going to get down and speak Il
Mother myself. when Mr.. Harlow
crossed the room and sat Gown on thu
sofa beside her.
Dreaming. Madger he said. Low
and soft. his soulful eyas just devour
ing her lovely face. II read that. too
In book last week. ! just loved It y