The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-05-01


talking one day, and they said they
were. They called her Poor Madge,"
and Dear Madge." and they said Ii
was a shame that she should have
had such a wretched experience, and
that they for one should try to do ev-
erything they could to make her for
get
And that's what they all seem to be
!, trying to do-to make her forget.
There isn't a day goes by but that
somebody sends flowers or books or
candy, or invites her somewhere, or
takes her to ride or to the theater,
| or comes to see her, so that Mother
is In just one whirl Of good times from
morning till night Why, she'd just
have to forget. She doesn't have any
time to remember. I think she is for
getting, too. Oh. of course she gets
tired, and sometimes rainy days or
| twflights I find her On the sofa in her
room not reading or anything, and her
| face looks most as it used to some
times after they'd been having one of
| their incompatibility times But /
don't find her that way very often,
and it doesn't last long. So really
think she La forgetting.
| About the prospective suitors-I
found that prospective suitor' In O
story a week ago, and I just love it.
1t means you probably will want to
marry her, you know. 1 use it all the
time now-n my mind-when Pm
| fhncn
come here (the unmarried ones).. l
forgot and used it out loud one day
to Aunt Hattie; but I shan't again.
She said, Mercy" and threw up her
hands and looked over to Grandpa the
way she does when I've said something
she thinks is perfectly awful.
| But / was firm and dignified-but
very polite and pleasant-and I said
that I didn't see why she should act
like that, for of course they were pro-
spective suitors, the unmarried ones,
anyway, and even some of the married
ones, maybe, like Mr.. Harlow, for of
course they could get divorces, and
"Marie!" interrupted Aunt Hattie
then, before could say another word
or go On to explain that of course
Mother couldn't be expected to stay
unmarried always, though I was very
sure she wouldn't get married again
until it 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 loathe And she told me never,
never to let her hear me make such a
speech as that again. And I said
would be very careful not to. And
you may be sure shall. don't want
to go through a scene like that again
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 1 heard her say, "Per-
haps the child does read too many
novels, Hattie"
And Aunt Hattie answered, "Ot
course she does!" Then she said some
thing else which 1 didn't catch, only
the words "silly" andN"romantic" and
'pre-co-shus" q don't know what that
last means, but put it down the way
it sounded, and I'm going to look Il
up.)
Then they turned and saw me, ant
they didn't say anything more. Blu
the next morning the perfectly lovely
story I was reading, that Theresa le
|
I couldn't find anywhere. And wher
, I asked Mother If she'd seen it, sh'
said she'd given 1t back to Theresa
and that 1 mustn't ask for it again
That I wasn't old enough yet to reat
such stories.
There it is againI I'm not oil
enough. When will I be allowed t.
take my proper place In life? Ech
answers when.
Well, to resume and go on.
What was / talking about7 Oh,
know-the prospective suitors. (Aun
Hattie can't hear me when l just writ
; it, anyway Well. they all come jus
as they used to, only there are NOR
: of them now-twO fat men, one sir
one, and a man with a halo of hal
round a bald spot. Oh, l don't mea
that any of them are really sutton
yet. They just come to call and t
! tea, and send her flowers and cand.
And Mother isn't a mite nicer to on
than she is to any of the others. An!
body can see that. And she show
: very plainly she's no notion Of picl
! ing anybody out yet. But of cours
l can't help being interested an
watching.
1t won't be Mr.. Harlow, anywa.
I'm pretty sure of that. even If he hs
started in to get his divorce. Can
he has. I heard Aunt Hattie tie
Mother so last weekly But Motht
doesn't like him. I'm sure she doesn'
He makes her awfully nervous. o
she laughs and talks with him-seen
| LAUGHS orop moro with hi