The Jasper news., 1922-07-27
cooyrishs ~ EI..sss q. PsItss
CHAPTER V-contInued.


asked more questions, one right after
another.
Are you sick, Mary"
! shook my head.
"Did you hurt yourself7"
l shook my head again.
ut isn't-your motber-you haven't
pad bad news from herr"
And then / blurted II out without
Neutrality-suspicious. thinking at all what
was saying: "No, no-but l wish /
had, wish had cause then could
go to her, and go away from here"
The minute I'd said 1t l knew what I'd
said, and how awful it sounded; and l
clapped my fingers to my lips. But I
was too late. It's always too late,
when you've once said 1t. So Just
waited for him TO thunder out his
anger; for, Of course, thought he
would thunder in rage and righteous
Indignation.
But he didn't. Instead, very quietly
and gently he said:
Are you so unhappy, then, Mary
here?"
And l looked at him, and his eyes
and his mouth and his whole face
weren't angry at all. They were just
sorry, actually sorry. And somehow,
before / knew 1t, / was crying again,
and Father, with his arm around me
with his arm around me! think Of
that was leading me to the sofa.
And cried and ,ried there, with my
head on the arm of the sofa, till I'd
made q big tear spot on the linen
cover; and wondered If 1t would dry
up before Aunt Jane saw 1t, or II 1t
would change color or leak through to
the red plush underneath, or some
other dreadful thing. And then. some
way, found myself telling 1t all over
10 Father-about Mary and Marie, I
mean, just as If he was Mother. or
some one loved-I mean, some one
loved and wasn't afraid of; for OF
course love Father. OF course l do |
Well told him everything (when
got started there was no stopping)-
all about how hard it was to be Mary,
and how today had tried to be Marie
for just little while, to rest me. He
interrupted here, and wanted to know
II that was why looked so different
today-more as l had when l first
came; and / said yes, that these were
Marie things that Mary couldn't wear.
And when he asked, "Why, pray2" in
voice almost cross, l told him, Of
course, that Aunt Jane wouldn't let
me; that Mary had to wear brown
serge and calfskin boots that were
durable, and that would wear well.
And when / told him how sorry
was about the music and such noise
as I'd been making, he asked II that
was Marie's fault, too; and said yes,
of course-that Aunt Jane didn't like
to have Mary play at all, except
hymns and funeral marches, and Mary
didn't know any. And he grunted a
queer little grunt, and said, "Well.
well, upon my soul, upon my soul ~
Then he said, go on" And l did 90
on.
1 told him how / was afraid II was
going to be just like DR.. Jekyll and
Mr.. Hyde. Il forgot to say I've read
II now. found 1t In Fathers library
OF course not just like 1t, only one OF
me was going to be bad, and one good
] was afraid, II l didn't look out
told him how Marie always wanted to
kick up rugs, and move the chairs out
Of their sockets IN the carpet, and
leave books around handy, and such
things. And SO today 1t seemed as II
Id Just got to have a vacation from
Mary's hot gingham dresses and
clumsy shoes. And l told him how
lonesome / was without anybody, moi
anybody; and l told about Charlie
Smith and Paul Mayhem and Mr.
Claude Livingstone, and how Aun
Jane wouldn't let me have them
either, even II was standing wher'
the brook and river meet.
Father gave another funny llttl'
grunt here, and got up suddenly anC
walked over to the window. l though
at first he was angry; but he wasn't
He was even more gentle when b,
came back and sat down again. an,
he seemed interested, very much inter
ested in everything told him. But
stopped Just In time from saying agail
how ! wished could go back to Bos
ton; but I'm not sure but he knew
was going to say IT.
But he was very nice and kind an,
told me not TO worry about the musi
that ne didn't mind II at all. He,
been In several times and heard II
And l thought almost, by the way b