The Holbrook news., 1922-05-12

pulled back the letter and read It. after giving kind ot an uneasy glance in my direction.
 Father never looked up once while she was reading 1t. He kept his eyes on his plate and the baked beans he was eating. I watched him. You see, knew, by Aunt Jane's reading the letter to him, that It was something he had got to decide; and when ] found out what 1t was, of course, ] was just crazy. l wanted t1 go so. So I watched Fathers face to see if he was going to let me go. But l couldn't make out. I couldn't make out at all. It ehanged-Oh, yes, 1t changed great deal as she read; but l couldn't make out what kind of a change 1t was at all.
 Aunt Jane finished the letter and began to fold 1t up. I could see she was waiting for Father to speak; but he never said a word. He kept right On-eating beans.
 Then Aunt Jane cleared her throat and spoke.
 You will not let her go, of course, Charles; but naturally 1 had to read the letter. to you. I will write to Mrs. Anderson tonight"
 Father looked up then, "Yes." he said quietly; "and you may tell her, please, that Mary will go.'
 Charles !''
 Aunt Jane said that. But I-I al- most ran around the table and hugged him. (Oh. how I wish he was the kind of father you could do that toD
 Charles, '" said Aunt Jane again. Surely you aren't going to give in so tamely as this to that child and her mother"
 "I'm not giving in at all, Jane." said Father. very quietly again. q am con sulting my own wishes in the matter. l prefer to have her gO."
 l most cried out then. Some way, 1t hurt to have him say 1t like that, right Out-that he wanted me to go You see. I'd begun to think he was getting so he didn't mind so very much having me here. All the last two weeks he'd been different, really diff ferent. But more of that anon. I'll go on with what happened at the table. And, as I said. I did feel bad to have him speak like that. And l can re member now just how the lump came right up In my throat.
 Then Aunt Jane spoke, stiff and dig nified.
 "Oh. very well, of course, if you put it that way. I can quite well under stand that you would want her to go for your sake. But I thought that under the circumstances, you would manage somehow to put up with the noise and"
 "Jane. .' Just like that he interrupt ed, and he thundered. too, so that Aunt Jane actually jumped. And l guess l did. too. He had sprung to his feet Jane, let us close this mat ter once for all. I am not letting the child go for my sake. I am letting her go for her own. So far as I am concerned, if I consulted no ones wishes but my own, I shOuld-keep her here always
 With that he turned and strode from the room, leaving Aunt Jane and me just staring after him.
 But only for minute did I stare. It came to me then what he had said that he would like to keep me here always. For had heard it, even if he had said the last word very low, and In queer, indistinct voice. 1 was sure I had heard it, and I suddenly realized what It meant. So l ran after him; and that time, if I had found him. l think 1 would have hugged him. But l didn't find him. He must have gone quite away from the house He wasn't even out to the observatory. l went out to see.
 He didn't come in all the afternoon. l watched for that, too. And when he did cOme-well, 1 wouldn't have dared 10 hug him then. He had his very sternest I-am-not-thinking- air, and he just came in to supper and then went into the library without say ing hardly anything. Yet, some way, the look on his face made me cry. l don't know why.
 The next day he was more as he has been since we had that talk in the parlor, And he has been different since then, you know. He really has He has talked quite lot with me. as I have said. and I think he's been try ing, part of the time, to find something I'll he interested in. Honestly. l think he's been trying to make up for Carrie and Stella Mayhew and Charlie Smith and Mir. Livingstone. think that's why he took me to walk that day ill the woods, and why he took me out to the observatory to see the stars quite number of times. Twice he's asked me to play to him, and once he asked me if Mary wasn't about ready to dress up in Marie's clothes again. But he was joking then. knew, for Aunt Jane was right there in the house. Besides, I saw the twinkle in his eyes that I've seen there once or twice before just love that twinkle in Fathers eyes!
 But that hasn't come any since Mothers letter to Aunt Jane arrived. He's been the same in one way, yet different in another. Honestly, if 1t didn't seem too wildly absurd for any thing. I should say he was actually sorry to have me go. But, of course, that isn't possible. Oh. yes. know he said that day at the dinner table that he should like to keep me always But 1on't think ha raaIIy meant it Ha