White County record., 1922-09-28

Why, Father, IT doa'r know" ]. stammered again.
 Come, come, of course you know I" he cried. You know what you " nt to do, don't youY
 l shook my head. I was so ostoa. 1shed l couldn't even think. And when you can't think you certainly can't talk.
 Nonsense, Mary" scowled Father. "Of course you know what you want to dol What are you in the habit of doing with your young friends-your Carries and Charles, and all the rest?"
 l guess just stood and stared and dldnt say anything; for after min. ute he cried: "Well-wen-weII! Tia waiting"
 why, We've walk-and talk-anl play games," l began; but right away he interrupted.
 Good Very well, then, v'er walk. I'm not Carrie or Charlie, but I be- lleve l can walk and talk-perhaps even play games. Who knows? Come, get your hat"
 And 1 got my hat, and we went.
 But what funny, funny walk that was He meant to make 1t a good one, 1 know he did. And he tried He tried real hard. But he walked so fast couldn't half keep up with him; then, when he saw how I was hurrying, he'd slow down, way down. and look so worried-till he'd forget and go striding off again, way ahead of me.
 We went up on the hill through the Benton woods, and it was perfectly lovely up there. He didn't say much at first. Then, all of sudden, he be- gan to talk, about anything and every. thing. And I knew, by the way he did 1t, that he'd just happened to think he'd got to talk. -
 And how he talked! He asked me was I warmly clad (and here it is August ), and did have a good break fast, and how old was I, and did I en. Joy my studies-which shows how lit- tie he was really thinking what he was saying. He knows school closed ages ago. Wasn't he teaching me himself the last of it, too? All around us were flowers and birds, and oh. so many. many lovely things. But he never said word'about them. He just talked because he'd got to talk. I knew it. and 1t made me laugh inside, though all the while it mace me sort of want to cry, too. Funny, wasn't it?
 After time he didn't talk any more, but just walked on and on and by and by We came home.
 Of course, it wasn't awfully jolly that walk wasn't; and I guess Father didn't think it was either. Anyhow, he hasn't asked me to go again this week, and he looked tired and worried and sort of discouraged when he got back from that one.
 The next evening he took me out to the observatory to see the stars. That was lovely. Honestly I had a perfect ly beautiful time, and I think Father did, too. He wasn't stiff and polite one bit. Oh, I don't mean that he was impolite or rude. It's just that he wasn't stiff as if I was company. And he was so happy with his stars and his telescope, and so glad to show them to me-oh, I had beautiful time, and I told him so; and he looked real pleased. But Aunt Jane came for me before I'd had half enough, and I had to go to bed. -.
 The next morning I thought he'd be somehow, because we'd had such lovely time together the night before. But he wasn't. He just said, Good morning, Mary" and began to read his paper. And he read his pa per all through breakfast without say ing another word to me. Then he got up and went into the library, and I never saw him again all day except at dinner-time and supper-time, and then he didn't talk to me.
 But after supper he took me out again to see the stars, and he was just as nice and friendly as could be. Not bit like a man thau's only father by order of the court But the next day!
 Well-and that's the way it's been all the week. And that's why I say les been so queer. One minute he'll )e Jdst as nice and folksy as you .ould ask anybody to be, and the very leXt he's looking right through you IS if he didn't see you at all, and you wonder and wonder what's the mat CT, and if you've done anything to iisplease him.
 Sometimes he seems almost glad and lappy and then he'll look so sorry nd sad!
 I just can't understand my father 1t all. MOTHER WEEK LATER.
 I'm so excited I don't know what to To. The most wonderful thing has