The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1922-10-05
o.sT4sAsSs si..s-s 8. f.ss-
CHAPTER discontinued.

All the evening l was watching and
listening with her eyes and her ears
everything he did, everything he said
/ SO wanted Mother to like himl / so
wanted Mother to see how really fine
and splendid and noble he was. But
that evening-Why couldn't he stop
talking about the prizes he'd won.
pd the big racing car he'd just or
dered for next summer There was
nothing fine and splendid and noble
about that. And were his finger nails
always so 1irty1
Why, Mother would think
Mother did not stay in the room all
the time; but she was in more or less
often to watch the game; and at half
past nine she brought In some little
cakes and lemonade as a surprise.
thought II was lovely; but could
have shaken Paul when he pretended
to be afraid of 1t, and asked Mother
II there was a stick In 1t.
The idea-Mother A sticki
/ just knew Mother wouldn't like
that. But IL she didn't, she never
showed a thing In her face. She just
smiled, and said no, there wasn't any
stick In It; and passed the cakes.
When he had gone ! remember l
didn't like to meet Mothers eyes, and
didn't ask her how she liked Paul
Mayhem. kept right on talking fast
about something else. Some way,
didn't want Mother to talk then. for
fear OF what she would say.
And Mother didn't say anything
about Paul Mayhew-then. But only a
few days later she told me to In
wife him again to the house (thls time
to chafing-dlsh supper), and to as,i
Carrie Haywood and Fred Small, too.
We had beautiful time, only again
| Paul Mayhem didn't "show or at all
| In the way / wanted him to-though
he most emphatically Showed or In
his wayl II seemed to me that he
Dragged even more about himself and
his belongings than he had before.
And l didn't like at all the way he
ato his food. Why, Father didn't eat
! like that-wlth such q noisy mouth,
and such n rattling of the sllverware
And so 1t went-wise mother that
she was Far frOIl prohibiting me to
have anything to do with Paul Nay
hew, she let me see all l wanted to
| of him, particularly IL my own home
| She let me go out with him, properly
| chaperoned, and she never, by word
! or manner limited that she didn't ad-
mIre his concelt and braggadoclo.
And 1t all came out exactly as /
suspect she had planned from the be-
ginning. When Paul Mayhem asked to
be my escort to the class reception In
June, l declined with thanks, and i'm
medlately afterward told Fred Small
/ would 60 with him. But even when
/ told Mother nonchalantly. and with
carefully averted eyes, that l was GO
Ing to the reception with Fred Small
even then her pleasant 'Well. that's
good |" conveyed only CHEEKY mother
interest; nor did a hasty glance into
her face discover so much as a lifted
eyebrow to hint, II thought you'd
come 10 your senses sometlmep
Wise little mother that che wasl
In the days and weeks that followed
Though nothing was sald) ! detected
a subtle change In certain matters,
however. and as 1 look back at 1t
now, am sure can trace It's origin to
ny affair" with raul Mayhem. Evil
IDENTIFY Mother had no intention OF run
ming the risk OF any more courtships /:
also evidently she intended to know
who my friends were. At all events,
the old Anderson mansion soon be-
came the rendezvous of all the boys
and girls Of my acquaintance. And
such good times as we had, with
Mother always one oc us, and ever pro-
| posing something new and interesting
And because boys-not a boy, but
boys-were as free to come to the
house as were girls. they soon seemed
to me as commonplace and matter.Of-
course and free from sentimental In
terest as were the girls.
Again, wise little motheri '''..a'
But, OF course, even this did not
| prevent my falling In love with some
one older than myself, some one quite
outside Of my own circle Of intimates.
My especial attack Of this kind
came to me when was barely eigh-
teen, the spring l was being gradu-
ated from the Andersonville High
school. And the visible embodiment
OF my alteration was the head master,
Mr.. Harold Hartshorn, a handsome,
/ elean-sLaveh, well-set-up man Of II