The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-05-23
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that. But IL she didn't, she never
showed q 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 I remember I
didn't like to meet Mothers eyes, and
I didn't ask her how she liked Paul
Mayhem. kept right on talking fast
about something else. Some way, I
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 (this time
to a ehanng-dis supper), and to ask
Carrie Haywood and Fred Small, too.
We had n beautiful time, only again
Paul Mayhem didn't "show off, at all
in the way wanted him to-though
he most emphatically showed off, in
his way! It seemed to me that he
Dragged even more about himself and
his belongings than he had before.
And didn't like Mt all the way he
ate his food. Why. Father didn't eat
like that-with such q noisy mouth,
and such a rafting Of the silverware!
And 50 IL went-wise mother that
she was! Far from prohibiting me to
have anything to do with Paul May
hew, she let me see all wanted to
Of him, particularly In my own home.
She let me 60 out with him, properly
ohaperoned, and she never, by word
or manner, limited that she didn't ad-
mire his conceit and braggadocio.
And 1t all came OUT exactly as 1
suspect she had planned from the be.
ginning. When Paul Mayhem asked to
be my escort to the class reception in
June, declined with thanks, and i'm
mediately afterward told Fred Small
i would 60 with him. But even when
told Mother nonchalantly, and with
carefully averted eyes, that was 60
ing to the reception with Fred Small
-ever then her pleasant "Well, that's
good!" conveyed only CHEEKY mother
interest: nor did q hasty glance into
her face discover so much as a lifted
eyebrow to hint, II thought you'd
come to your senses sometime!"
Wise little mother that she wasi
In the days and weeks that followed
Though nothing was said) detected
q subtle change In certain matters,
however. And as / look back Mt it
now, / am sure can trace its origin to
my affair" with Paul 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 AZ we had, with
Mother always one Of 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 motherl
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.
Ny especial attack Of this kind
came to me when was barely eigh-
teen, the spring / was being gradu-
ated from the Andersenville High
school. And the visible embodiment
of my alteration was the head master
Mr.. Harold Hartshorn, q handsome,
clean-shaven, well-set-up man of Il
should judge) thirty-five years Of age,
rather grave. Q little stern, and very
dignifed.
But how I adored him! How I hung
upon his every word, his every glance
How I Unanswered to win from him a
few minutes conversation on a Latin
verb or q French translation How l
thrilled If he bestowed upon me one
of his infrequent smiles! How /
grieved over his stern aloofness
BY the end OF q month had evolved
this: his stern aloofness meant that
he had been disappointed in Lowell his
melancholy was lonenness-his heart
was breaking. How longed to help
to heal, to curel How 1 thrilled mt the
thought Of the love and companionship
/ could give him somewhere in a rose
empowered cottage far from the mad
ding crowdl (He boarded at the An
Jacksonville hotel alone now.) II only
he could see IL ON saw It II only by
! some sign or token he could know OF
| the warm love that was his but for
the asking! Could he not see that no
! longer need he pine alone and unap-
preciated In the Andsrsonville hotel
Why. In Just a few weeks I was TO
be through school. And then
On the night before commencement
Mr.. Harold Hartshorn assembled our
front steps. rang the bell. and called
for my father. knew because I was
upstairs In my room over the front
door; and saw him come up the walk
| and heard him ask for Father.
Oh, Joy! Oh, happy dayl He knew,
He had seen IL nm I saw 1t. He had