The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-05-22

and that their permission must be
gained. And 1 had my doubts-I had
very grave doubts. Yet 1t seemed to
me at that moment that just had to
go on that sleigh-ride That &c was
the only thing In the whole wide weird
worth while
| can remember now, as IL II were
yesterday, the way debated In my
mind as TO whether ! should ask
Father, Mother, or both together; and
if I should let it be seen how greatly
desired to go, and how much 1t meant
TO me or IL I should just mention it
as in passing, and take their permits
sion practically for granted
/ chose the latter course, and took
time when they were both together.
At the breakfast table / mentioned
casually that the school was to have
a sleigh-ride and supper the next Fri
day afternoon and evening, and that
Paul Mayhem had asked me to 20 with
him.
"a sleigh-ride. supper, and not
come home until EVENING" cried
Mother. "And with whom, did you
sayT'
Paul Mayhem" answered. I still
tried to speak casually; at the same
time / tried to indicate by voice and
manner something Of the great honor
that had been bestowed upon their
daughter.
Father was impressed-plainly Inn
pressed; but not a, all In the way I
had hoped he would be. He gave me
swift, sharp glance; then looked
straight at Mother.
"Humphl Paul Mayhewl Yes. I
know him." he said grimly. "And I'm
dreading the time when he comes into
college next year."
SYou mean" Mother hesitated and
stopped.
81 mean 1 don't like the company
he keeps-already," nodded Father.
"Then you don't think that Mary
Marie" Mother hesitated again, and
glanced at me.
Certainly not" said Father de-
cidedly.
knew then, Of course, that he
meant couldn't go on the sleigh ride,
even though he hadn't said the words
right out. l forgot all about being
casual and Indifferent and matter-of-
course then. thought only of show
ing them how absolutely necessary 1t
was for them to let me 60 on that
sleigh ride, unless they wanted my
life forevermore hopelessly blighted.
explained carefully how he was
the handsomest, most popular boy in
school. and how all the girls were just
crazy to be asked to go anywhere
with him: and | argued what If Faith
er had seen him with boys he did NOT
Hke-then that was all the more rea-
son why nice girls like me, when he
asked them. should go with him, so az
to keep him away from bad boys. And
| / reminded them again that he was
the very handsomest, most popular
| boy in school; and that there wasn't
| a girl / knew who wouldn't be crazy
| TO be in my shoes.
Then stopped, all out of breath,
and I can imagine just how pleading
and palpitating looked.
thought Father was going to re-
fuse right away, but saw the glance
that Mother threw him-the glance
that said, LET me attend to this,
dear" I'd seen that glance before,
several times, and / knew just what
| 1t meant; so wasn't surprised to see
Father shrug his shoulders and turn
away as Mother said to me:
"very well, dear TIL think 1t over
| and let you know tonight"
But I was surprised that night te
have Mother say could 60, for I'd
about given up hope, after all that
talk at the breakfast table. And she
said something else that surprised me,
too. She said she'd like TO know Paul
Mayhem herself; that she always
wanted to know the friends Of her
little girl. And she told me to ask
him to call the next evening and play
checkers or chess with me.
| Happy? I could scarcely contain
myself for joy. And when the next
| evening came. bringing Paul, and
were really, truly company, came int
the room and talked 30 beautifully to
him, / was even more entranced. To
be sure, 1t did bother me a little that
Paul laughed so much, and 10 loudly,
and that he couldn't seem to find any
thing to talk about only himself. and
what he was doing, and what he was
going to do. Some way, he had never
seemed like that at school. And I
was afraid Mother wouldn't like that
All the evening I 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.
and 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 dirty?