The Hope pioneer., 1922-06-08
CHAPTER V-continued.

<aIC SOu SIN, NAlAy9
shook my head.
did you hurt yourself?"
shook my head again.
1T isn't-your mother-you haven't
lad bad news from herr"
And then I blurted it out without
thinking at all what
/ was saying: "No, no-but wish l
had, wish l had; cause then could
60 to her, and go away from here!"
The minute I'd said it knew what I'd |
said, and how awful it sounded; and l |
clapped my fingers to my lips But t
was too late. It's always too late,
when you've once said it. So l just
waited for him to thunder out his
anger; for, of course, l thought he
would thunder in rage and righteous
indignation:
But he didn't. Instead, very quietly
and gently he said:
"Are you so unhappy, then, Mary
here?"
And looked at him, and his eyes
and his mouth and his whole face
weren't angry at all. They were just
sorry, actually sorry. And somehow.
before knew it, was crying again.
and Father, with his arm around me
with his arm around met think of
that was leading me to- the sofa.
And cried and cried there, with my
head on the arm of the sofa, till I'd
made a big tear spot on the linen
cover; and wondered If it would dry
up before Aunt Jane saw it, or If 1t
would change color or leak through to
the red plush underneath, or some
other dreadful thing. And then, some
way, found myself telling it all over
to Father-about Mary and Marie, l
mean, just as If he was Mother, or
some one loved-1 mean, some one
loved and wasn't afraid of; for of
course 1 love Father. OF course do!
Well, told him everything (when
got started there was no stopping)-
all about how hard it was to be Mary,
and how today had tried to be Marie
for just little while, to rest me. He
interrupted here, and wanted to know
if that was why looked so different
today-more as l had when l first
came; and I said yes, that these were
Marie things that Mary couldn't wear.
And when he asked, "Why, pray?" in
voice almost cross, told him, of
course, that. Aunt Jane wouldn't let
me; that Mary had to wear brown
serge and calfskin boots that were
durable, and that would wear well.
And when 1 told him how sorry /
was about the music and such noise
as Id been making, he asked if that
was Nlarie's fault!stoo; and said yes.
of course-that Aunt Jane didn't like
to have Mary play at all, except
hymns and funeral marches, and Mary
didn't know any, And he grunted IL
queer little grunt, and said, "Well,
well, upon my soul, upon my soul "
Then he said, "Go on" And did &c
On.
told him how 1 was afraid it was
going to be just like DR.. Jekyll and
Mr.. Hyde. Il forgot to say I've read
it now. l found it in Fathers library,)
OF course not just like it, only one of
me was going to be bad, and one good
was afraid, If I didn't look out.
told him how Marie'always wanted tc
kick up rugs, and move the chairs out
of their sockets in the carpet, and
leave books around handy, and such
things. And so today it seemed as II
I'd Just got to have vacation from
Mary's hot gingham dresses ant
clumsy shoes. And l told him how
lonesome l was without anybody, not
anybody; and l told about Charlie
Smith and Paul Mayhem and Mr.
Claude Livingstone, and how Aun
Jane wouldn't let me have them
either, even if I was standing where
the brook and river meet.
Father gave another funny little
grunt here, and got up suddenly ant
walked over to the window. l though
at first he was angry; but he wasn't
He was even more gentle when M
came back and sat down again, ant
he seemed interested, very much inter
ested in everything I told him. But
stopped just in time from saying agai1
how l wished could go back to Bos
ton: but I'm not sure but he knew
was going to say 1t.
But ne WIS very uICS anu nAAu oAA>
told me not to worry about the music
that he didn't mind it at all. He't
been in several times and heard IT
And l thought almost. by the way n
spoke, that he'd come in on purpose t.
hear it; but guess that was mis-
take. He Just put it that way so
wouldn't worry over it-about IT
bothering him. mean.
He was going to say more, maybe
but l don't know. l had to run.
heard Aunt James voice on the piazz'
saying good-by to the lady that hat
brought her home; 80, OF course, ha'
to run and hang Marie In the close
and get out Mary from the corner ba
6ore she saw me. And did