The Jasper news., 1922-07-20

0Sovr,ahtsy El-.sss =. Psrts
CHAPTER v-continued.

osoTraahtS - El-.sss a Pssts
CHAPTER v-continued.
IL
When he got up from the table he
said to me: II shall expect to see you
tomorrow In the library at four. Mary"
And Mary answered: "Yes, Father"
polite and proper, as she should; but
Marie inside was Just chuckling with
the Joke of ii all.
The next day watched again at
four for Father to come up the walk;
and when he had come In went down
TO the library. He was there In his
pet seat before the fireplace. tFather
always sits before the fireplace,
whether there's q fire there or not.
And sometimes he looks so funny sit
ting there, staring into those gray
ashes just as II 1t was the liveliest
kind of fire he was watchfng.)
AS said. he was there, but I had
TO speak twice before he looked up.
Then, for a minute. he stared vaguely.
"Eh2 Ohi Ah-er-yes, to be sure"
he muttered then. you have come
with your books. Yes, l remember"
But there wasn't any twinkle In his
eyes, nor the least little bit Of an un-
derstanding smile; and was disap-
pointed. i had been looking for 1t.
knew then, when l felt 80 suddenly
lost and heart-achey. that l had been
expecting and planning all day on that
twinkly understanding emile. You
know you feel worse when you've just
found father and then lost him
Well, he took my books and heard
my lessons, and told me what l was
TO study next day. He's done that two
days now.
oh, I'm 30 tired of being Mary I
And I've got more than four whole
months Of Il left. I didn't get Moth
er's letter today. Maybe that's why
fmNspecially lonesome tonight.
JULY FIRST.
School Is done, both the regular
school and my school. Not that my
school has amounted to much. Really
1t hasn't. Oh, for three or four days
he asked questions quite like just a
teacher. Then he got to talking.
Sometimes 1t would be about some
thing In the lessons; sometimes 1t
would be about q star, or the moon.
And he'd get so interested that I'd
think for a minute that maybe the un-
derstandlng twinkle would come into
his eyes Egain. But II never did.
Naturally the lessons haven't
amounted to much, as you can imagine.
But the term was nearly finished. any
way; and my real school Is In Boston,
Of course.
It's vacation now. / do hope that
will amount to somethlngl
AUGUST FIRST.
1t hasn't, SO far-I mean vacation.
Really, what a world of disappoint.
ment this Isl How on earth I'm 60
ing to stand being Mary for three
months more l don't know. But I've
got TO, suppose. I've been here MAY.
June, and July; and that leaves Au-
gust, September, and October yet to
come. And when / think of Mother
aud Boston and Marie, and the darling
good times down there where you're
really wanted, am simply crazy.
II Father wanted me. really wanted
me, l wouldn't care a bit. I'd be will.
ing to be Mary six whole months. Yes
I'd be glad 70. But he doesn't. I'm
just here by order of the court. And
what can you do when you're moth
ing but a daughter by order Of the
cOurt7
AS said before. If only there was
somebody here that wanted me. But
there isn't. OF course Father doesn't
That goes without saying. And Aunt
Jane doesn't. That goes, too, without
saying. Carrie Haywood has gone
away for all summer, SO l can't have
even her. and Of course, l woHldn't
associate with any of the other girls
even II they would associate with me
which they won't.
That leaves only Mothers letters
They are dear, and l love them.
don't know what I'd do without them
And yet. sometimes l think mayb,
they're worse than II didn't havI
them. They make me 90 hOmesick
and always cry so after / get them
Still, / know l just couldn't live
minute II I wasn't for Mothers LEI
tiers.
Father doesn't like ladies. l knoy
he doesn't. He always runs away frou
them. But they don't run away fron
him! Listen.
Quite lot OF them call here to se
Aunt Jane, and they come lots O
times evenings and late afternoons
and know now why they do 1t. The,