The Ocala evening star., 1922-05-10

and look so worried-till he'd forget
and go stridiNg off again. way aheaC
of me.
We went up on the hill through the
Benton woods, and it was perfectly
lovely up there. He didn't say much
at first. Then, all of a sudden. he he
gan to talk. about anything and every
thing. And I knew. by the way HI
did 1t, that he'd just happened t.
think he'd got to talk.
And how he talked! He asked M
was / warmly clad (and here IL Il
August y, and did have a good break
fast, and how old was I, and did | en-
Joy my studies-which shows how lit
tie he was really thinking what he wa
saying. He knows school closed age
ago. Wasn't he teaching me himself
the last of it, too? All around us were
flowers and birds, and OH so many,
many lovely things. But he never said
a word about them. He just talked
because he'd got to talk. l knew 1t,
and it made me laugh inside, though
all the while 1t maze me sort of want
to cry, too. Funny, wasn't it?
After time he didn't talk any more,
but just walked on and on; and by and
by We came home.
OF course, 1t wasn't awfully jolly
that walk wasn't; and / guess Father
didn't think 1t was either. Anyhow,
he hasn't asked me to go again this
week, and he looked tired and worried
and sort of discouraged when he got
back from that one.
But he's asked me to do other
things. The next day after the walk
he asked me to play to him. Yes, he
asked me to; and he went into the
parlor and sat down ON one Of the
chairs and listened while l played
three pieces. OF course, didn't play
loud ones, nor very fast ones, and I
was so scared I'm afraid didn't play
them very well. But he was very po-
lite and said. Thank you, Mary" and,
THAT was very NICE: then he stood
up and said- THANK you" again and
went away into the library, very po-
lite, but stiff, like company.
The next evenil g he took me out to
the observatory TO see the stars. That
was lovely. Honestly l had a perfect
ly beautiful time, and think Father
did, too. He wasn't stiff and polite
one bit. oh, don't mean that he was
impOlite or rude. It's Just that he
wasn't stiff as if / was company. And
he was so happy with his stars and
his telescope, and so glad to show
them to me-oh, | had beautiful
time, and told him so; and he looked
real pleased. But Aunt Jane came for
me before I'd had half enough. and !
had to go to bed.
The next morning l thought he'd be
different, somehow. because we'd had
such a lovely time together the night
before. But he wasn't. He just said,
"Good morning. Mary" and began to
read his paper. And he read his pa
per all through breakfast without say
ing another word 70 me. Then he got
up and went into the library, and
never saw him again all day except
at dinner-time and supper-time. and
then he didn't talk TO me.
But after supper he took me out
again to see the stars, and he was
just as nice and friendly as could be
Not a bit like man that's only a
father by order of the court. But the
next day!
WeIl-and that's the way it's been
all the week And that's why I say
he's been SO queer. One minute he'll
be just as nice and fQiksy as you
could ask anybody 10 be, and the very
next he's looking right Through yor
as II he didn't see You at all. and yor
wonder and wonder what's the mat
ter. and if you've done anything tc
diSpleaSe him.
Sometimes he seems almost glad an6
happy, and then he'll look so sorr,
and sad!
just can't understand my father
at all.
ANOTHER WEEK LATER.
I'm so excited l don't know what Il
do. The most wonderful thing ha.