The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-04-26


an play with, like she could the flow
ers an rocks and grass an trees.
ANGRY? Your pa? Not much he
was, He just laughed an caught her
round the waist an kissed her, an
said she herself was the brightest star
Of all. Then they ran off hand in hand,
like two kids too. All through those
first few weeks your pa was just
great big baby with a new plaything.
Then when college began he turned all
at once into a full-grown man. An
just naturally your ma didn't know
what TO make Of 1t.
He couldn't explore the attic an
rig up in the old clothes there any
more. nor rOmp through the garden,
nor go lunchin' in the woods. nor none
Of the things she wanted him TO do. He
didn't have time. An what made
things worse. one of them comet-tails
was comm up in the sky, an your pa
didn't take no rest for watchin for
it. an then studyin' of it when it got
here
Gan your ma-pOor little thing!
couldn't think of anything but doll
that was thrown in the corner because
somehody'd got tired Of her. She was
lonesome. an no mistake. Anybody'd
be sorry for her, TO see her mopin'
round the house. nOthin' to do. Oh,
she read. an seWed with them bright
colOred silks an worsteds; but course
there wasn't no real work for her to
do. There was good help in the kitchen
an l took what care Of your grand
ma was needed; an she always gave
her orders through me, SO l practical
ly run the house, an there wasn't
anything there for her to do.
IAN so your ma just had to NOPE 1t
out alone. Oh, l don't mean your pa
was unkind. He was always nice an
polite, when he was in the house,
an I'm sure he meant to treat her
all right. He said yes. yes, to be sure,
of course she was lonesome, an he
was sorry. Twas too bad he was
so busy An he kissed her an patted
her. But he always began right away
to talk of the comet; an ten to one
he didn't disappear into the observa
tory within the next five minutes. Then
your ma would look 50 grieved an sor-
ry an go off an cry, an maybe not
come down to dinner, at all.
"Well then. one day things got so
bad your grandma took a hand. She
was up an around the house, though
she kept mostly to her own rooms.
But of course she saw how things was
gOin' Besides, | told her-some.
Twas no more than my duty, as I
looked at it. She just worshiped your
pa. an naturally she'd want things
right for him. SO one day she told me
to tell her sons wife to come to her
/ in her room.
An | did an she came Poor lit
tie thing! l couldn't help bein' sor-
/ ry for her She didn't know a thing
| Of what was wanted of her, an she
was so glad an happy to come. You
see, she was lonesome, l suppose.
"Me? Want me?-Mother Ander-
SOM she cried. oh, I'm so glad =
Then she made 1t worse by runnin' up
. the stairs an bouncin' into the room
like a rubber ball, an cryin': Now
what shall l do. read to you, or sing
to you, or shall we play games? I'd
love to do any of themr Just like
that. she said it, l heard her. Then
l went out, of course, an left them
But l heard most everything that
was said. just the same, for / was
right in the next room DUSTIN anG
the door wasn't quite shut.
"First your grandmother said rea
polite-she was always polite-but II
a cold little voice that made even me
shiver In the other room, that she die
not desire to be read to or sung to
and that she did not wish to play
games She had called her daughter
in-law in to have serious talk will
her. Then she told her. still very
polite, that she was noisy an child
ish. an undignif1ed an that 1t wa!
not only silly but very wrong for he
to expect 70 have her husbands entir'
attention; that he had his own work
an 1t was a very important one. HI
was going TO be president Of the col
lege some day. like his father befOr
him; an It was her place to help hin
In every way she cOuld-help him Il
be popular an well-liked by all tn
college people an students; an h
, couldn't be that If she insisted all tn
time on keepln' him to herself, or look
. In sour an cross If she couldn't hav
him
: "Of course that amt all she said
but | remember this part pardcula
: OF account Of what happened after
/ ward. You see-your ma-she fel
awful bad. She cried q little, al
. sighed a lot. an said she'd try sh
; really would try to help her husban
in every way she could; an 81
, wouldn't ask him another once, no
. once 10 stay with her. An sh
p wouldn't look sour an cross, eithel
Shed promise she wouldn't An she
uy, she'd try. oh. so hard, TO be prope
+ an dignihed.
: she got up then an went out Q
the room so quiet an still you wouldn
/ know she was movin'. But heard lie
i I'D In her room cryin' half an hou
}. later. when stopped minute at he
b door TO see If she was there. Al
! she was
4 But she wasn't cryin' by nigh
T MOI much she was! Shed washed he
L face an dressed herself up as prett
e as could be, an she never so muc