The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-04-27
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ELEANOR H. PORTER
ILIUSTRATIONSBY
RH.LIVINGSTONE.
90 T
-
=: copyright by ELEANOR H. PORTER)
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
RH.UVINGSTONE.
YCopvrieht by ELEANOR H. PORTER)


Well, at last I had to 60 down to
dinner-I mean supper-and, by the
way, 1 made another break on that. l
called 1t dinner right out loud, and
never thought-till I saw Aunt James
face.
Supper viii be ready directly" she
said, with cold and icy emphasis. And
may I ask you to remember, Mary
please, that Andersonville has dinner
at noon, not at six o'clock
Eyes, Aunt Jane" said Mary, po-
lite and proper again. q shan't say
what Marie said inside.)
We didn't do anything In the eve
ming but read and go to bed at nine
o'clock. I wanted to run over to Car
RE Heywood's;' but Aunt Jane said
no, not till morning. q wonder why
young folks never can do things when
they want to do them, but must al
ways wait till morning or night or
noon, or some other ,simeD
In the morning I went up to the
schoolhouse. I planned it so as to get
there at recess, and saw all the girls
except one that was sick, and one that
was away. We had perfectly lovely
time, only everybody was talking all
at once so that I don't know now what
was said. But they seemed glad to see
me. I know that. Maybe I'll go to
school next week. Aunt Jane says
she thinks I ought to, when it's only
the first Of May. She's going to speak
to Father when he comes next week.
She was going to speak to him
about my clothes; then she decided to
attend to those herself, and not bother
him. She doesn't like my dresses. She
came into my room and asked to see
my things. My! But didn't hate to
show them to her? Marie said she
wouldn't; but Mary ohediently trotted
to the closet and brought them out
one by one
Aunt Jane turned them around with
the tips of her fingers, all the time
signing and shaking her head. When
I'd brought them all out, she shook
her head again and said they would
not do at all-not in Andersonville; ;
that they were extravagant, and much
too elaborate for a young girl; that
she would see the dressmaker and ar
range that I had some servlceaole
blue and brown serges at once.
Blue and brown serge, indeedl But,
there, what's the use? I'm Mary now.
keep forgetting that; though 1 don't
see how I can forget it-with Aunt
Jane around.
But, listen. A funny thing happened
this morning. Something came up
about Boston, and Aunt Jane asked
me a question. Then she asked an
other and another, and she kept me
talking till I guess 1 talked most
whole half-hour about Grandpa Des-
mond, Aunt Hattie, Mother, and the
house, and what we did, and, oh,
whole lot Of things. And here, just
two days ago, she was telling me that
she wasn't interested in Grandpa Des-
mond. his home, or his daughter, or
anything that was his!
There's something funny about
Aunt Jane.
ONE WEEK LATER.
Fathers come. He cape yesterday.
But I didn't know it.. and l. came run
ming downstairs, ending with a little
bounce for the last step. And there,
right in front of me in the hall was
Father.
I guess he was as much surprised
las 1 was. Anyhow, he acted so. He
just stood stock-still and stared, his
face turning all kinds of colors.
aYou?" he gasped, just above his
breath. Then suddenly he seemed to
remember. "Why, yes, yes, to be sure.
You are here, aren't you? How do
you do, Mary?'
He came up then and held out his
hand, and I thought that was all he
was going to do. But, after a funny
utL1e uSSlldtlOh, lS SloopSo oao niSH'>H
nv forehead. Then he turned and
went into the library with very quick
steps, and I didn't see him again till
at the supper-table.
At the supper-table he said again,
"How do you do, Mary?' Then he
seemed to forget all about me. AT
least he didn't say anything more to
me: for three or four times, when
glanced up, found him looking at me.
But lust rs soon as I looked back at
him ha turned his eyes away and
cleared his throat, and began to eat
or to talk to Aunt Jane
After dinner-I mean supper-ne
went out to the observatory, just as
he always used to. Aunt Jane said
her head ached and she was going to
bed. [ said 1 guessed 1 would step
over to Carrie Heywood's; but Aunt
Jane said, certainly not; that / was
much too young to be running around
nights in the dark. Nights! And 1t was
only seven o'clock, and not dark at
all! But of course I couldn't go.