Gunnison news-champion., 1922-05-19


word. Honestly. Marie Is getting aw-
fully tired Of Mary's sensible sewing
and dusting. and her durable ciumpy
shoes and stuffy dresses. and her nour-
ishlny oatmeal and whoie-vheat
bread. But there. what can you dot
rru trying TO remember that It's differ
ent. anyway. and that ! said ] liked
something different
1 don't see much OF Father. Stiii.
there's something kind ef queer about
IL after all He only speaks TO me
about twice q day-just -Gocd-inorn-
ing. Mary and Goodnight" And
so far as most Of his actions are con-
eerne. you wouldn't think by them
that he knew ! was in the house Yet.
over and over again at the table. ana
at times when / didn't even know he
was round. I've found him watching
me. and with such queer. funny look
in his eyes. Then, very quickly al
ways. he looks right away.
But last night he didn't And that's
especially what l wanted TO write
about today And this is the way It
happened:
II was after supper, and i had gone
into the library. Father had gone out
TO the observatory as usual, and Aunt
Jan. had gone UPSTAIRS TO her room a.
usual. and as usual | was wandering
round looking for something TO Dc. !
wanted to play on the piano, bus l
didn't dsre tc-not with all those
dead hair and wax flower folks In the
parIor watching me. and the chance OF
Fathers coming In rs he did before.
| was standing in the window s:ar-
Ing out at notisin--it wasn't qlife
dark yet-when again had that queer
feeling that somebody was looking at
me. | turnet-and there was Fatier.
He had come In and was sitting In the
big chair by the table. But this time
! he didn't look right away as usual and
( giye me q chance TO slip quietly out
Of the room. as / always had before.
Instead he said:
What are you doing there, MaryT
"S-nothing Father frOwned and
hitched In his chair. Father always
bitches In his chair when he's lrritat-
ed and nervous. You can't be doing
nothing. Nobody but a dead man does
unthing-snd we aren't SO sure about
him What are you doing Maryf"
Just Hooking out the window"
Come here. want 10 talk TO you"
"Yes. Father"
| went. OF course. at once, and sat
down In the chair near him He
( hitched again in his seat
."why don't you do soTnething-read,
sew. knltf' he demanded. why do I
always find you mopIng around. doing
nothing;"
I Just like that he said IT; and when
he had just told me
why. Fatherr | cried; and know
that l showed how surprised was
Il thought you just said / couldn't do
nothing-that nobody could!"
"Eh? What, Tut, tuti" He seemed
/. very angry at first; then suddenly hs
( looked sharply into my face. Next, II
I you'll believe II. he laughed-the
( queer little chuckle under his breath
/ that I've heard him give two or three
/ times when there was something he
! thought was funny. ''Humph," he
grunted. Then he gave me another
sharp look out Of his eyes, and said:
Il don't think you meant that to be
/ quite so impertinent as II sounded,
( Mary. so well let it pass-this time.
III put my question this way: Don't
/ you ever knit or read or sewT'
Il do sew every day In Aunt James
room. ten minutes hemming. ten min
l uteS scanning. and ten minutes basting
7aiclus oFk squares together. l don't
BOW 10 knit"
about reading? Don't zen
siing,'
course do. I love VI. I
cried -And I DO read lots-ee
I home
.At-homer
l knew. then, Of course. that "a
made another awful break. There
wasn't any smile around Fathers eyes
nov. and his lips came together hard
and thin over that last word.
"At-at my home stammered II
mean, my other home"
.'Humph!" grunted Father. Then,
after a minute: But why. pray, can't
you read here3 I'm sure there are
books enough" He nourished his
hands toward the bookcases all
around the room.
"Oh. do-a little; but, you -,
I'm % afraid I'll leave some Of them
out when I'm through" explained.
/ well. what Of III What If you dor
he demanded.
Why, Fatherl" l tried to show by
the way ! said IL that he knew-of
course he knew. But he made me tell
him right out that Aunt Jane wouldn't
Ike ii. and that the books always had
to be kept exactly where they BE-
longed.
well, Why mott Why shouldn't