The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-05-01
Mary
Marie
Best story eper loriften By
ELEANOR ri. PORTER
Author o.
"Pollvanna. Just Daoid. "
''Dalon. els.


there are others, lots Of them, married
men with wives, and unmarried mer
with and without sisters. But I mean
another man specially. His name Is
Harlow. He's a little man with 9
brown pointed beard and big soft
brown eyes He's really awfully good
looking, too. / don't know what he
does do; bus he's married I know
that. He never brings his wife, though;
but Mothers always asking for her.
clear and distinct. and she always
smiles, and her voice kind Of tinkles
like little silver bells. But just the
same he never brings her.
He never takes her anywhere. l
heard Aunt Hattie tell Mother SO at
the very first. when he came. She
said they weren't bit happy together,
and that there'd probably be divorce
before long. But Mother asked for
her just the same the very next time.
And she's done 1t ever since.
l think I know now why she does.
l found out, and was simply thrilled.
1t was SO exciting! You see, they
were lovers once Observation-Disclosures
and this Mr. Harlow. Then something
happened and they quarreled. That
was Just before Father came.
OF course Mother didn't tell me this,
nor Aunt Hattie. It was two ladies.
l heard them talking at tea one day.
was right behind them. and couldn't
get away, so l just couldn't help hear
ing what they said.
They were looking across the room
at Mother. Mr.. Harlow was talking
to her. He was leaning forward In
his chair and talking so earnestly to
Mother; and he looked just as II he
thought there wasn't another soul in
the room but just they two. But
Mother-Mother was Just listening to
be polite to company. Anybody could see
that. And the very first chance she
got she turned and began to talk to a
lady who was standing near. And she
never so much as looked toward Mr..
Harlow again.
The ladies in front of me laughed
then, and one Of them said, with lit
tie nod Of her head, 81 guess Madge
Desmond Anderson can look out for
herself all right"
Then they got up and went ava!
without seeing me. And all of sud
den l felt almost sorry, for [ wanted
them to see me. | wanted them to see
that I knew my mother could take care
of herself, too, and that l was proud
of it. If they had turned I'd have sait
so. But they didn't turn.
shouldn't like Mr.. Harlow for 6
father I know / shouldn't. But then
there's no danger, of course, even il
he and Mother were lovers once. He's
got wife now, and even if he got E
divorce. l don't believe Mother would
/ choose him.
/ But of course there's no telling
! which one she will take. AS l sale
! before, I don't know. It's too soon
! anyway, to tell. l suspect it isn't an!
| more proper to hurry up about getting
. married again when you've been IN
| married by a divorce than 1t is wheT
! you've been unmarried by your hus
| bands dying. I asked Peter one da!
| how soon folks did get married afte
| a divorce. but he didn't seem to know
| Anyway, all he said was to stammer
"Er-yes, miss-no, miss, l mean
! l don't know, miss"
Peter is awfully funny. But hei
! nice. l like him, only l can't find GU
! much by him. He's very good-loOkfng
! though he's quite old. He's almos
{ &aIl I
| takes me back and forth to school CIV
| cry day, so I see quite lot of him
| And, really, he's about the only one
| can ask questions Of here, anyway
/. There isn't anybody like Nurse Sara
used to be. Olga, the cook, talks S
funny I can't understand a word sh
SAYS. hardly. Besides, the only tw
times I've been down to the kitche
| Aunt Hattie sent for me, and sh
told me the last time not to go an
more. She didn't say why. Aunt Hal
tie never says why not to do things
She Just says, Don't" Sometimes
seems to me as If my whole life ha
been made up of "don'ts" If they
only tell US part of the time thing
to do maybe we wouldn't have S
much time to do the "don'ts." (Ths
sounds funny, but guess folks'n kno'
what / mean.)
Well. what was I saying? Oh,
know-about asking questions. As
said, there isn't anybody like Nurs
Sarah here. can't understand Olg'
and Theresa, the other maid, is ju:
about as bad Aunt Hattie's Lowell,
but l can't ask questions of her. Sh
isn't the kind. Besides, Testers a
ways there, too; and you can't discus
| family affairs before children. {
course there's Mother and Grandp
Desmond But questions like whe
it's proper for Mother TO have lover
l can't ask Of them, of course. 5
there's no one but Peter left to as
Peters all right and very nice, but
! doesn't seem to know anything thu
/ 7 want IN know So he doesn't amour