The Jasper news., 1922-09-07

she should hear him speak. Therefore,
Hattie, ! intend TO take her."
And then she asked Grandfather
again when Father was going to speak.
I'm 80 excited only think Of see
Ing my father up on a big platform
with lot of big men, and hearing him
speak And he'll be the very smartest
and handsomest one there. too. You
see II he isn'ti
TWO WEEKS ANr ONE. DAY LATER
Fathers here-right here in Boston.
i don't know when he came. But the
first day of the meeting was day be-
fore yesterday, and he was here then.
The paper said he was, and his picture
was there, too. There were a lot Of
pictures, but his was away ahead Of
the others. 1t was the very best one
on the page. Il told you 1t would be
that wny.)
Mother saw II first. That is, think
she did. She had the paper In her
hand. looking at It, when l came into
the room but as soon as she saw me
she laid It right down quick on the
table. II she hadn't been quite so
quick about II. and II she hadn't looked
| quite so queer when she did IL, I
wouldn't have thought anything at all.
But when / went over to the table after
she had gone, and saw the paper with
Fathers picture right on the FIRST
page-and the biggest picture there
/ knew then. Of course. what she'd
been looking at.
/ looked at II then, and read what
II said. too. 1t was lovely. Why,
hadn't any idea Father was so big.
was prouder than ever Of him. 1t told
all about the stars and comets he'd
discovered, and the books he'd written
on astronomy. and how he was presi-
dent Of the college at Andersonville,
and that he was going to give an ad'
dress the next day. And / read 1t
all-every word. And l made up my
mind right there and then that I'd
cut out that piece and save 1t.
But that night, when l went to the
library cupboard to get the paper. l
couldn't do It, after all. oh, the paper
was there. but that page was gone.
There wasn't a bit Of 1t left Some
body had taken II right out. / never
thought then Of Mother. But I believe
now that It was Mother, for
But mustn't tell you that part now.
Stories are Just like meals. You have
TO ent them--I mean tell them--in reg
ular order, and not put the Ice cream
In where the soup ought to be. So
I'm not going to tell yet why suspect
1t was Mother that cut out that page
of the paper wfth Fathers picture In
IL.
Well, the next morning was Fathers
lecture, and went with Mother. OF
course Grandfather was there, too,
but he was with the other astronomers,
guess. Anyhow, he didn't sit with as.
And Aunt Hattie didn't go at all. So
Mother cnd were alone.
We sat back-a long ways back.
wanted TO go up front, real far front
the front seat, II / could get 1t; and
told Mother so. But she said,
"Mercy, nor and shuddered. and went
back two more rows from where she
was, and got behind a big post.
/ guess she was afraid Father would
see US, but that's what l wanted.
wanted him to see us. wanted him
TO be right in the middle Of his lecture
and look down and see right there be-
fore him his little girl Mary, and she
that had been the wife Of his bosom
Now that would have been what
called thrilling, real thrilling, especlal
ly II he jumped. or grew red, or white
or stammered, or stopped short, oil
anything to show that he'd seen us
and cared.
I'd have loved that.
Bat we sat back where Mother
wanted to, behind the post. And. oi
course, Father never saw us at all.
1t was a lovely lecture. oh, Of
} course, don't mean to say that
} understood 1t. I didn't. But his voice
was fine, and he looked just too grand
for ANYTHING, with the light on his no
Bile brow and he used the lovelles
. big words that l ever feard- AND
folks clapped, and looked at eacf
J other, and nodded, and once or twice
they laughed. And when he was al
through they clapped again. harde
, than ever.
, Another man spoke then, littl'
(not near so good as Eather), and theI
, II was all over, and everybody got up Il
! go; and saw that a lot Of folks wer'
crowding down the aisle, and l looked
/ and there was Father right in from
= Of the platform shaking hands will
t folks.
E I looked at Mother then Her fac