The herald., 1922-09-21


father of my little girl. and think
she should hear him speak. Therefore,
Hattie, | intend TO take her.
And then she asked Grandfather
again when Father was going to speak.
I'm so excited! Only think of see
Ing my father up on a big platform
with lot of big men, and hearing him
speak! And he'll he the very smartest
and handsOmest one there, too. You
see if he isn't!
TWO WEEKS AND ONE DAY LATER
Fathers here-right here in Boston.
l don't know when he came. But the
first day Of the meeting was day be-
fore yesterday, and he was here then.
| The paper said he was, and his picture
was there, too. There We're a lot of
/ pictures, but his was away ahead of
( the others. Ii was the very best one
/ on the page. q told you it would be
that way)
Mother saw 1t first. That is, l think
she did. She had the paper in her
hand, looking at it, when | came into
| the room; but as soon as she saw me
she laid it right down quick on the
table. If she hadn't been quite so
| quick about it, and If she hadn't looked
| quite so queer when she did 1t, l
wouldn't have thought anything at all.
But when / went over to the table after
she had gone. and saw the paper with
] Eof nj ~
page-and the biggest picture there
l knew then, of course, what shed
been looking at.
/ looked at it then, and read what
II said, too. 1t was lovely. Why, l
hadn't any idea Father was so big. l
was prouder than ever of him. 1t told
all about the stars and comets he'd
discovered. and the books he'd written
on astronomy, and how he was presi-
dent of the college at Andersonville,
and that he was going to give an ad-
dress the next day. And l read 1t
all-every word. And l made up my
mind right there and then that I'd
cut out that piece and save 1t.
| But that night, when l went to the
library cupboard to get the paper, !
couldn't do it. after all. Oh, the paper
was there. but that page was gone.
There wasn't bit of 1t left. Some
body had taken 1t right out never
thought then of Mother. But believe
now that 1t was Mother, for
But l mustn't tell you that part now.
Stories are just like meals. You have
TO eat them-I mean tell them-in reg
ular order. and not put the ice cream
In where the soup ought to be. So
I'm not going to tell yet why suspect
IL was Mother that cut out that page
of the paper with Fathers picture In
| IL.
Well, the next morning was Fathers
lecture, and l went with Mother. OF
course Grandfather was there, too,
but he was with the other astronomers,
guess. Anyhow, he didn't sit with US.
And Aunt Hattie didn't go at all. So
Mother End l were alone.
We sat back-a long ways back.
wanted to go up front, real far 'front.'
the front seat. If l could get 1t; and
l told Mother so. But she said.
Mercy, moi" and shuddered, and went
back two more rows from where she
was, and got behind a big post.
guess she was afraid Father would
see us. but that's what l wanted.
wanted him to see us. ! wanted him
to be right In the middle of his lecture
and look down and see right there be
fore him bis little girl Mary. and she
that had been the wife of his bosom.
Now that would have been what /
called thrilling. real thrilling, especial
ly If he jumped. or grew red, or white.
or stammered, or stopped short, or
anything to show that he'd seen us
and cared.
I'd have loved that.
But we sat back where Mother
wanted to, behind the post. And, Of
course, Father never saw us at all.
1t was a lovely lecture. Oh. of
course, l don't mean to say that /
understood 1t. I didn't. But his voice
was fine, and he looked just too grand
for anything, with the light on his no
BILE brow. and he used the loveliest
big words that / ever heard And
folks clapped, and looked at each
other, and nodded, and once or twice
they laughed. And when he was all
through they clapped again. harder
than ever.
Another man spoke then, little
(not near so good as Father). and then
1t was all over, and everybody got up to
60; and l saw that a lot of folks were
crowding down the AISLE and looked
and there was Father right in front
of the platform shaking hands with
folks.
looked at Mother then. Her face
was all pinky-white, and her eyes were
shining. l guess she thought l spoke,
for, all OF a sudden she shook her
head and said:
"No, no. ! couldn't. / couldn't! But
you may, dear Run along and speak
to him; hut don't stay. Remember.
Mother is waiting, and come right
back"
| knew then that II must have been
Just my eyes that spoke, for l did
want to Il down there and speak to
\