The Neshoba Democrat., 1922-09-28
nnt ote wotIid eay AJAX ilothinr N,Ill

the truth dwell ii Benhy
"ph, hullo. said he. "No. came
10 see your father
He marched by her. His hair stuck
itp at the back His coat was hunched
about his shoulders. His insufficient
nose, sbundant loose-lipped mouth
and brown eyes we're completely ex.
nrcssionless. He marched by her with.
out glance.
She flushed with yexation Mr.. Dea-
con, as one would expect, laughed
loudly, took the situation in his ele-
phantine grasp and paved at 1t.
Mammal Mammal What do you
s'pose2 Di thought she had beau"
on papa!" said Di "Why, just
hate Bobby Larkin and the whole
school knows it,
Mr.. Deacon returned to the dining
room, humming in his throat. He en-
tered upon n pretty scene.
His Ina was darning. Four minutes
of grace remaining to the child Mo-
mona, she was spinning on one toe
with some Bacchanalian idea of max
ing the most of the present. Di domi-
nated her ruffles, her blue hose, her
bracelet, her ring.
"Oh, and mamma" she said, "the
sweetest pasty and the dearest sup
per and the darlingest decorations and
the gorgeousest--"
Grammar, grammar" spoke Dwight
I HArhnpf IL
what he meant, but the good fellow
felt some violence done somewhere or
other.
"Well," said Di positively, "they
We're. Papa, see my favor"
She showed him a sugar dove, and
he clucked at it.
Ina glanced at them fondly, her face
assuming its loveliest light. She was
often ridiculous, but always she was
the happy wife and mother, and her
role reduced her individual absurdities
at least to its own.
The door to the bedroom now
opened and Mrs. Bett appeared.S
"Well, mother" cried Herbert. the
well" curving like an arm, the
mother" descending like brisk slap.
Hungry now?"
Mrs. Bett was hungry now. She had
emerged intending to pass through the
room without speaking and find food
in the pantry. BY obscure processes
her son-in-law's tone inhibited all this.
"No," she said. "Tm not hungry"
Now that she was there, she seemed
uncertain what to do. She looked
from one to another a bit hopelessly,
somehow foiled in her dignity. She
brushed at her skirt, the veins of her
long, wrinkled hands catching an in
tenser blue from the dark cloth. She
put her hair behind her ears.
I'VE put potato in the oven for
you" said Ina She had never learned
quite how to treat these periodic re-
fusals of her mother to eat but she
never had ceased to resent them.
mo, thank you," said Mrs. Bett.
Evidently she rather enjoyed the stu
alton, creating for herself spotlight
much in the manner of Monona.
Mother" said Lulu, 'let me make
you some toast and tea"
Mrs. Bett turned her gentle, blood
less face toward her daughter, and
her eyes warmed.
AFTER little, maybe" she said. II
think I'll run over to see Grandma
Gates now" she added, and went
toward the door.
"Tell her." cried Dwight, "tell her
she's my best girl"
Grandma Gates was a rheumatic
cripple who lived next door, and when
ever the Deacons or Mrs. Belts were
angry or hurt or wished to escape the
house for some reason, they stalked
over to Grandma Gates-in lieu of,
say, slamming door. These visits
radlated an almost daily friendliness
which lifted and tempered the old in
valids lot and life.
Di flashed out at the door again, on
some trivial permission.
"a good many of mammals stitches
in that dress to keep clean" Ina called
after.
EARLY, darling, earlyr' her father
reminded her. A faint regurgltation
of his was somehow invested with the
paternal
Whats this?" cried Dwight Her
bert Deacon abruptly.
On the clock shelf lay a letter.
"Oh, Dwightr Ina was all compunc-
ton. ut came this morning. / for
got"
II forgot it tool And laid 1t up
there" Lulu was eager for her share
of the blame.
"Isn't it understood that my mail
can't wait like this?'
Dwigbt's sense Of Importance was
now being fed in gulps.
i know. I'm awfully sorry" Lulu
said, but you hardly ever get let
ter"
This might have made things worse.
but 1t provided Dwight with a greater
Importance.
"Of course, pressing matter goes to
my office" he admitted 1t. "Stfu. nv