The herald., 1922-08-03
TWO WEEKS LATER.

your daily life into a love story.
TWO WEEKS LATER.
A queer thing happened last night
1t was like this:
Yesterday Aunt Jane went to spend
the day with her best friend. She
said for me not to leave the house, as
some member Of the family should be
there. She told me to sew an hour,
weed an hour, dust the house down
stairs and upstairs. and read some i'm.
proving book an hour. The rest of
the time l might amuse myself.
Amuse myself! A jolly time could
have all by myself! Even Father
wasn't to be home for dinner, so l
wouldn't have that excitement. He
was out of town, and was not TO come
home till six o'clock.
1t was an awfully hot day. The sun
| just beat down. and there wasn't a
breath of air. BY noon l was simply
crazy with my stuffy. long-sleeved,
high-necked blue Bingham dress and
my great clumpy shoes. II seemed all
of Il sudden as if | couldn't stand it
not another minute-nOt single min
ute more-tO he Mary. I mean. And
suddenly | determined that for a while,
just a little while, I'd be Marie again.
Why couldn't I? There wasn't any
body going to he there but just my
self, all day long
taf- 20, hn
room closet where Aunt Jane had made
me put all my Marie dresses and
things when the Mary ones came.
Well. | got ont the very fluffieSt, soft
est white dress there was there. and
the little white slippers and the silk
stockings that | loved. and the blue
silk sash. and the little gold lOcket
and chain that Mother gave me that
aunt Jane wouldn't LET me wear. And
| dressed up. Ny. didn't | dress up?
And / Just threw those old heavy shoes
and black cotton stockings into the
corner. and the blue bingham dress
after them Though Mary went right
away and picked the dress up, and
hung 1t I'm the closet. of cOurse); but
had the fun of throwing it. anyway.
oh, how good those Marie things did
feel to Mary'S hot. dried flesh and
homes. and how I did dance and sing
around the room in those light little
slippers, Then Susie rang the dinner
bell and I went down to the dining
room feeling like really truly young
lady. 1 can tell you.
Susie stared, of course. and said.
"My. how fine we are today" But
didn't mind Susie.
After dinner l went out into the hall
and / sang all over the house. Then
went into the parlor and played
every lively thing that I could think
of on the piano. And / sang there,
too-silly little songs that Marie used
10 sing TO Lester. And | tried TO
think | WIS really down there To Bos-
ton. singing TO Lester; and that Moth
err was right in the next room waiting
for me.
Then | stopped and turned around
on the piano stool. and the room was
lust as still as death. And l knew
I wasn't In Boston. / was there in
Andersonville. And there wasn't any
Baby Lester there. nor any mother
waiting for me in the next room. And
all the fluffy white dresses and silk
stockings in the world wouldn't make
me Marie. / was really just Mary,
and had got 10 have three whole
months more Of 1t.
And then is when | began TO cry.
And cried just as hard as I'd been
singing a minute before. l was on
the floor with my head in my arms on
the piano stool when Fathers voice
came TO me from the doorway.
"Mary. Mary, what in the world
does this mean?"
/ Jumped up and stood "at atten-
ton" the way you have to, of course.
when fathers speak to you.
ayes. sir" i tried not to have my
voice shake as / said II; but couldn't
quite help that.
"What is the meaning of this. Mary?
Why are you cryingT
I shook my head. i dldnt want 10
tell him. of course; so l just STAN
mered ont something about being sorry
had disturbed him. Then I edged
toward the door to show him that IL
he would step one side l would 20
away at once and not bother him any
longer.
crOBE CoNTINUED)