The herald., 1922-10-12

was not, worth Ille HNlHS- WIFI pre-
| ponderance toward the latter.
Mother-dear mother looked on
| aghast. She feared, / think for my
life; certainly for my sanity and
morals.
II was Father VINO came to the res
| cue. He pooh-DOohed Mothers fears;
said Il was indigestion that allied me.
or that l was growing too fast; or per
| hapS I didn't get enough sleep, or
needed. maybe, a good tonic. He took
me out Of school. and made II n point
| to accompany me on long walks. He
| talked with me-nOt to me-abOut the
birds and the trees and the sunsets,
and then about the deeper things of |
life, until, before I realized II, was |
sane and sensible once more, serene
and happy in the simple faith of my |
childhood.
I was seventeen. II remember right |
", when I became worried, not over
my heavenly estate now, but my earth |
" one. must have a career, OF
course. No namby-pamhy everyday Nv
ing of dishes and busting and meals
and babies for me. 1t was all very
well. of course, for some people. Such
things had to be. But for me
I could write. Of course. but I was
not sure but that preferred the stage.
( AT the same time there was within me
' n deep stirring as Of call to 60 out
. and enlighten the world, especially
[ that portion Of It in darkest Africa or
I deadliest India. I would be mission
airy.
o Before was eighteen, however.
p had abandoned all this. Father put
i his foot down hard on the missionary
o project, and Mother put hers down on
the stage idea.
Sol wrote stories-but did not get
o any Of them printed in spite of my earn
n est efforts. In time, therefore, that idea,
h also. was abandoned; and with II. re-
7 gretfully. the idea of enlightening the
e world at all.
BESIDES, had just then (again If l
e. remember rightfully) fallen In love.
y Not that It was the first time. oh,
= no. not at eighteen, when at thirteen
7 Ind begun confidently and happily To
look for IT. What a sentimental little
~ piece / was, How could they have
!. been so patient with me-Fatber,
90 Mother, everybody!
~ think the first real attack-the
: first that I consciously called love
&C myself-wns the winter after we had
all come back to Andersonville to live
was sixteen and in the high school
II was Paul Mayhew-yes. the same
" Paul Mayhem that had defied his
mother and sister and walked home
with me one night and Invited me Il
90 for an automobile ride, only to b'
." sent sharply about his business by m!
ne stern. memorable Aunt Jane. Paul wa
o in the senior class now, and the hand
Nv soonest, most admired boy In school
IN He didn't care for girls. That Is, m
ns said he didn't. He bore himself witt
supreme Indifference that was mad
ny dening. and that took apparently
io no notice of the fact that every girl i
Gu school was a willing slave to the mer
III nodding of his head or the beckonin
- Of his hand.
ies This was the condition of thing
'"' when 1 entered school that fall, an
. nerhaps for a week thereafter. The
III one day, very suddenly, and withou
III apparent reason, he awoke to the fsC
{" of my existence. Candy, flowers, DOoB
u! some one of these he brought to II
I'll every morning. All during the scho'
hei day he was my devoted gallant, dan
al ing attendance every possible minu'
gan outside of session hours. and walkin
NV home with me In the Afternoon
proudly carrying my books. Did / So
ahome with me-? That is not strict
l'n true-he always stopped just OF
inu block short of "hOme"-One bloC
'i'e short of my gate. He evidently hf
not forgotten Aunt Jane, and did n
/. intend to take any foolish risks!
n he said good-by to me always at
t,M safe distance.
w This went on for perhaps wee
~ Then he asked me to attend scho
"a sleigh-ride and supper with him.
IA was wild with delight. At Z
"a same time / was wild with apprehe
"a sion. I awoke suddenly TO the ia
"a Of the existence of Father and Moth'
"a and that their permission must
"a gained. And l had my doubts h
! very grave doubts. Yet 1t seemed
me at that moment that / just had
81 on that sleigh-ride. That ii W
the only thing in the whole wide VOL
~ worth while.
III can remember now, as If 1t we
~ Yesterday, the way 1 debated In
~ mind as to whether 1 should q
VI Father. Mother, or both together;
~ II should let 1t be seen how grea
m I desired to CO. and how much 1t mes
sM 70 me: or if I should just mention
N'E as in passing. and take their perm
II sion practically for granted.
! chose the latter course, and &c
81 n time when they were both togeth
~ At the breakfast table 1 mentor
2 casually that the school was to M
a sleigh-ride and supper the next /
dav afternoon and evening, and q
Paul Mayhem had asked me to go W
His him.