News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-06-21

l marty HeI, you KNOW. use IL all Tn,
time now--in my mind-when Tn
thinking about those gentlemen tina
| come here (the unmarried ones).
| forgot and used it out loud one da,
| to Aunt Hattie; but i shan't again
| She said, "Mercy" and threw I'D hel
hands and looked over to Grandpa the
way she does when I've said something
she thinks is perfectly awful.
But l was firm and dignified-but
very polite and pleasant-and said
that didn't see why she should ac.
like that, for of course they were pro.
/ spective suitors, the unmarried ones
anyway, and even some of the married
ones, maybe, like Mr.. Harlow, for of
course they could get divorces, and
Marie !" interrupted Aunt Hattie
or go on to explain that of course
Mother couldn't be expected to stay
unmarried always, though l was very
sure she wouldn't get married again
until it was perfectly proper and gen.
teel for her to take unto herself an
other husband.
But Aunt Hattie wouldn't even listen.
And she threw up her hands and said
"Mariew again with the emphasis on
the last part of the name the way I
simply lOathe And she told me never,
never to let her hear me make such
speech as that again. And l said
would be very careful not to. And
you may be sure I shall. / don't want
to go through scene like that again
She told Mother about it, though, |
think. Anyhow, they were talking very
busily together when they came into
the library after dinner that night,
and Mother looked sort of flushed and
plagued and L heard her say, "Per-
haps the child does read too many
novels, Hattie"
And Aunt Hattie answered, "Of
course she does !" Then she said some
thing else which l didn't catch, only
the words "silly" and romantic" and
"pre- co-shus." Il don't know what that
last means, but put it down the way
1t sounded, and I'm going to look it
up)
Then they turned and saw me, and
they didn't say anything more. But
the next morning the perfectly lovely
story l was reading, that Theresa let
me take called "The Hidden Secret"
1 couldn't find anywhere. And when
l asked Mother if she'd seen it, she
said she'd given it back to Theresa,
and that l mustn't ask for it again.
That l wasn't old enough yet to read
such stories.
There II is again! I'm not old
enough. When will / be allowed to
take my proper place in life? Echo
answers when.
Well, to resume and go on.
What was l talking about? Oh,
know-the prospective suitors. (Aunt
Hattie can't hear me when | just write
it, anyway Well, they all come just
as they used to, only there are more
of them now-two fat men, one slim
one, and a man with halo of hair
round a bald spot. Oh, l don't mean
that any of them are really suitOrs
yet. They just come to call and to
tea, and send her flowers and candy.
And Mother isn't a mite nicer to one
than she is to any of the others. Any
body can see that. And she shows
very plainly she's no notion Of pick
ing anybody out yet. But of course
l can't help being interested and
1t won't be Mr.. Harlow, anyway.
Tn pretty sure Of that, even if he has
started in to get his divorce. (And |
he has. 1 heard Aunt Hattie tell |
Mother so last week.) But Mother |
doesn't like him. I'm sure she doesn't. !
He makes her awfully nervous Oh, |
she laughs and talks with him-seems |
as if she laughs even more with him |
than she does with anybody else But !
she's always looking around for some !
body else to talk to; and I've seen her |
get up and move off just as he was |
coming across the room toward her, |
and I'm just sure she saw him. There's |
another reason, too why think Moth
er isn't going to choose him for her
lover. | heard something she said to
him one day.
She was sitting before the fire in the
library and he came in. There were
other people there, quite a lot Of
hem; but Mother was all alone by |
he fireplace, her eyes looking fixed
and dreamy into the fire. l was In
he window-seat around the corner Of |.
he chimney reading; and | could see
Mother in the mirror just as plain as
could be. She could have seen me,
too, of course, If she'd looked up. But
she didn't.
l never even thought of hearing
anything l hadn't ought, and | was
just going to get down and speak to
myself, when Mr.. Harlow
crossed the room and sat down on the
sofa beside her.
Dreaming, Madge?" he said, low
and soft, his soulful eyes just devOur-
ng her lovely face. q read that, too,
n a book last week. just loved IT'D
NTo%ho- e1orta1 onI Hnchah I'M