The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1922-09-28
COPYRIGHT bs nis.sss u. Pertss
CHAPTER Discontinued.

1t was almost dark WHEN l had I'm
tshed the manuscript. 1t was written
on the top sheet of a still thick pad
Of paper, and my finger fairly tingled
suddenly. to go on and cover those
unused white isheets-tell what hap
pened next-tell the rest of the story
not for the sake of the story-but for
my sake. 1t might help me. II might
make things clearer. 1t might help to
justify myself In my own eyes. ,SNot
that hate any doubts. of course
tabout leaving Jerry, mean), but that
when ] saw It in black and white ]
could be even more convinced that
was doing what was best for him and
best for me. ~
So l brought the manuscript down
to my own room, and this evening I
have commenced to write. can't fin-
ish 1t tonight, of course. But have
tomorrow, and still tomorp&. Il have
so many tomorrows nowI And what
do they all amount to?) And so r.
just keep writing as have time. til
! bring It to the end
I'm sorry that 1t must be so sad and
sorry an end. But there's no other
way, Of course. There Gun be but one
ending, as l can see. I'm sorry.
Mother'll be sorry. too She doesn't
know yet. hate to tell her. Nobody
knows-not even Jerry himself-yet.
They oil think I'm just making u visit
TO Mother-and am-till write that
letter to Jerry. And then
| believe now that I'll whit till I've
finished writing this. I'll feel better
then. My mind will be clearer. I'll
know more what TO say. Just the
effort of writing IL down
OF course. II Jerry and hadn't
Bat this is no why to begin. fake
the little Mary Marie of long ngo am
in danger Of starting my dinner with
fce-cream instead Of soupl Aud so
must begin where left Of of course
And that was at the wedding.
! remember that wedding as II It
were yesterday. ] can see now, with
Mary Marle's manuscript before me,
why 1t made so great an impression
upon me. 1t was q very quiet we'd
ding, of course-Just the members of
the family present. But shall never
forget the fine, sweet loneliness of
Mothers face, nor the splendid
strength end tenderness Of Fathers
And the way he drew her irto his arms
and kissed her. after 1t was all over
well, ! remember distinctly that even
Aunt Hattie choked up and had t.
turn her back to wipe her eyes.
They ent away ut once. first 10
New York for a day or two, then to
Andersonville, TO prepare for the real
wedding trip TO tho other side of the
world. l stayed In Boston at school.
In the spring, when Father and
Mother returned. and we oil went back
to Andsrsonville, there followed long
period Of just happy girlhOod, and |
suspect i was too satisfied and happy
10 think of writing. After all. I've no
tlced it's when we're sad or troubled
over something that we have that TIN
Cling to cover perfectly good white
paper With confessions" and "storles
of my llfe." AS witness right now what
I'm doing.
had Just passed my sixteenth birth.
day when we all came back to live In
Andersonville. For the first few
months suspect that just the glory
and the wonder and Joy of living In
the old home. with Father and Mother
happy together, was enough to fill all
my thoughts. Then, as school began
in the fall, came down to normal llv-
Ing again, and became a girl-just a
growing girl in her teens.
How patient Mother was, and Faith
err, tool can zee how gently and
tactfullv they helped me over the
stones and stumbling-blocks that strew
the pathway Of every slxteen-year-old
girl who thinks. because she has
turned down her dresses and turned
up her hair, that she Is grown up, and
can do and think and talk as she
pleases.
II was that winter that went
through the morbid period. Like our
childhood's measles and whooplng
cough. II seems to come TO most Of
us-us women children. wonder
whyi Certainly It came to me- True
to type l cried by the hour over fan
.cied sights from my schoolmates, and
brooded days at time because Faith
er or Mother "didn't understand" !
questioned everything In the earth
beneath and the heavens above; and
in my dark despair over an averted
olanoo Prom nv tnnat fotar.at. f.lorA