The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-05-13
Mary
Marie
Best story ecer leritten By
ELEANOR ri. PORTER
Aatbsr q
"Psllvsnna. :Jusf Dssid,
'Dalos. sAe.

"Daaos. sae.
And then I stopped. I had to, Of
and / might go to my room. And
went. And that's all know about 1t,
except that she came up, after little
and said for me not to talk any more
about 1t, to her, or to any one else /;
and to please try to forget 1t.
/ tried to tell her what I'd seen,
and what I'd heard that wicked, deep
dyed villain say; but she wouldn't let
me. She shook her head, and said,
"Hush, hush, dear; and that no good
could come of talking of 1t, and she
wanted me to forget 1t. She was very
sweet and very gentle, and she smiled !;
but there were stern corners to her
mouth, even when the smile was there.
And / guess she told him what was
what Anyhow, know they had quite
q talk before she came up to me, for
was watching at the window for him
to go; and when he did 60 he looked
very red and cross and he stalked
away with q never-will-I -darken-this-
door-again kind Of step, just as far as
could see him.
/ don't know, of course, what will
happen next, nor whether he'll ever
come back for Theresa {; but shorfldn' t
think even she would want him, after
this, II she found out.
And now, where's my love story COM
ing In, should Hike to known
TWO DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS
Another wonderful thing has hap
pened. I've had a letter from Father
from Father IA letter-me!
1t came this morning. Mother
brought 1t In to me. She looked queer
"a little. There were two red spots
In her cheeks, and her eyes were
very bright.
81 think you have letter here from
your father" she said, handing Il
out.
She hesitated before the "your ia
Their" just as she always does. An(
t isn't hardly ever that she mentions
his name, anyway. But when she does
she always stops a funny little minute
before 1t, just as she did today.
could see she was wondering wha
could be in 1t. But guess she WASH
wondering any more than l was, onl!
/ was gladder to get 1t than she was
l suppose. Anyhow. when she saw
how glad l was, and how l jumped TO
the letter, she drew back, and LOOKED
somehow as If she'd been hurt, ant
said:
81 did not know, Marie, that lette
frsm-your father would mean s.
much to you"
don't know what l did say to that
guess | didn't say anything. I'd al
ready begun to read the letter, and
was In such a hurry to find out wha
he'd said.
I'll copy it here. It wasn't long
It was like this:
My Dear Mary:
Some way Christmas has maize m'
think Of you. wish l had sent yol
some gift. Yet have not the slightes
idea what would please you. To tel
the truth, I tried to find something
but had to give 1t up.
~ am wondering If you had a goot
time, and what you did. After all, In
pretty sure you did have good time
for you are Marie now. You see,
have not forgotten how tired you 60
Of being-Mary. Well, well, do no
know as can blame you.
"And now that | have asked wha
| you did for Christmas, suspect 1t Il
no more than a fair turnabout to tel
you what 1 did. I suppose had yer,
good time. Your Aunt Jane says
did. / heard her telling one Of tn
neighbors that last night. She had
very fine dinner, and she invited Mrs
| Darling and Miss Snow and Miss San
didn't want me to feel lonesome. Blu
you can feel real lonesome In a crow
sometimes. Did you know that, Mary
"But left them to their chatter aft
er dinner and went out to the observe
tory. think I must have fallen aslee
|
dark when I awoke. But didn't min
that, for there were some observation
wanted to take. 1t was a beautiful
clear night. so I stayed there till neal
~ morning.
allow about 1t? l suppose Mari
plays the piano every day, now, doesn
she? The piano here hasn't bee
touched since you went away. OF
yes, 1t was touched once. Your aur
played hymns on 1t for a missionas
meeting.
"Well, what did You do Christmas
Suppose you write and tell
"Your Father"
I'd been reading the letter out lou
and when I got through Mother We
pacing up and down the room. Fl
a minute she didn't say anything; the
she whirled round suddenly and face
me, and said, just as If something L
side of her was making her say 1t:
81 notice there Is no mention
your mother In that letter, Marie.
suppose-your father has quite forge
ten that there is such a person In Il
world as-I."
Nj But I told her no. oh, no, and tn
was sure he remembered her, for
used to ask me questions often abo
what she did, and the viOlinist and a
THE vfolinist!" cried Mother, viii