Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-08-10
CHAPTER vIIl--continued.

IueT L COulu leel Inc httic sAlilS
tingling all over me. Now I was get
ting love storyi
"She was, my dear. She was very
lovely. But it wasn't just that-it was
a joyous something that l could not
describe. 1t was as If she were a
bird, poised for flight. 1 know 1t now
for what 1t was-the very incarnation
Of the spirit of youth. And she was
young. Why, Mary, she was not so
many years older than you yourself,
now. You aren't sixteen yet. And
your mother-I suspect she was too
young. If she hadn't been quite so
young"
He stopped, and stared again
straight ahead at the dancers-with-
out seeing one of them, / knew. Then
he drew a great deep sigh that seemed
to come from the very bottom of his
boots.
But it was my fault, my fault,
ing straight ahead. "If I hadn't been
30 thoughtless- AS If l could i'm
prison that bright spirit of youth In a
great dull cage of conventionality, and
not expect it to bruise it's wings by
fluttering against the bars I"
And right there and then 1t came to
me that Mother said 1t was her fault,
too; and that If only she could live it
over again, she'd do differently. And
here was Father saying the same thing.
And all of sudden / thought, well,
why can't they try it over again, If
they both want to, and if each says
1t was their-no, his, no. hers-well,
thing go? I hate grammarD But I
mean, If she says It's her fault, and he
says it's his. That's what I thought,
anyway. And ]. determined right then
and there to give them the chance to
try again, If speaking would do it.
looked up at Father He was still
talking half under his breath, his eyes
looking straight ahead. He had for
gotten all about me. That was plain
to be seen. If I'd been cup of coffee
without any coffee in it, he'd have
/ been stirring me. know he would.
He was like that.
Father, Fatherw l had to speak
+ twice, before he heard me. do you
really mean that you would like to try
againY / asked.
"Eh? What?" And just the way he
turned and looked at me showed how
many miles he'd been away from me.
"Try 1t again, you know-what you
said" reminded him.
"Oh, that !" Such funny look came
to his face, half ashamed, half vexed.
s'rm afraid have been-talking, my
tear."
Eyes, but would your" I persisted.
He shook his head; then, with such
an oh-that-it-could-be smile, he said:
"Of course-we all wish that we
could go back and do it over again
differently. But we never can"
Eyes, but, Father, you can go back,
In this case, and so can Mother, cause
you both want to-" / hurried on, al
most choking in my anxiety to get it
all out quickly. "And Mother said it
was her fault. I heard her."
"Her fault I" / could see that Fa-
Their did not quite understand, even
yet.
"Yes, yes, Just as you said 1t was
first, you know, when-when she was
a spirit of youth beating against the
bars"
Father turned square around and
faced me.
'sMary, what are you talking aboutT
he asked then. And I'd have been
scared Of his voice If it hadn't been
for the great light that was shining
IN his eyes.
But 1 looked into his eyes, and
wasn't scared; and told him every
thing, every single thing-all about
blue dress that day In the trunk-room,
and how she had shown the furnished
lace and said that she had furnished
the happiness of him and Of herself
and Of me; and that 1t was all her
fault: that she was thoughtless and
willful and exacting and spoiled
child; and, oh, II she could only try it
over again, how differently she would
do! And there was lot more. 1
told everything-everything 1 could
remember. Some way, / didn't be-
ueve that Mother would mind now,
after what Father had said. And
gust knew she wouldn't mind If she
could see the look in Fathers eyes as
4 talked.
He didn't interrupt me-not long
Interruptions. He did speak out a
quick little word now and then, at
some Of the parts; and once know
saw him wipe a tear from his eyes.
After that he put up his hand and sat
with his eyes covered all the rest Of
the time I was talking. And he didn't
take 1t down till said:
"And SO, Father, that's why told
you; cause 1t seemed to me If you
wanted to try again, and she wanted
to try again, why can't you do It? Oh,
Father, think how perfectly lovely It
would be II you did, and If it worked
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