Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-04-10

Nature to allure mans eyes, what
lay beyond that lure?
"Well?" Archie murmured low.
well? - guess Marcus VIII
miss you a lot. He
Clear upon the scented moon-lit
air a soft treble call fioated down
from an upper window.
Mamma. Mamma! You haven't
come up after dinner to say good
looming. Honey!" the young
mother called back. Coming in one
! minute
And her call was an answer. not
only to her son. but to her sutton.
Quite suddenly Archie caught it,
that note in her voice for which he
| had been listening; and it was not
| for him.
Her face had been lifted toward
her little boys window. She turned
| it again to the Rover.
But in the few seconds be-
| tween these gestures something's
strange something had happened to
| the young man. A bandage had
dropped from his eyes. He saw her,
| himself, her relation to him.
She liked him. Sooner or later. II
! he wished. she would be persuaded
| to marry him.
She was interested, pleased with
| a good looking man not much older
| than herself for a change. She was
| delighted, even, with the playmate
| he made for the tiny Marcus.
| Innocently she could plan with
| Nature to look upon this English
| man, clean-bred, clean -limbed, ath-
letic, young. as the source of other
| possible babies: perhaps of that
| lovely half dozen" Of which the
| mention had been drawn from him
on the boat.
Its because of that. Not because
Of me-" The thought flashed
| swiftly, with as swift memory
of what Mamma had said at lunch
| Of the woman who didn't sufficiently
| like men, qua men.
| "All the man she's interested in Is
1 the one that young Marcus will be
some day." he told himself. And
| She doesn't want mel" thought
| the Rover, his young pride rising
| hot in reaction. She doesn't want
| me-"
For once this had upon him pre-
cisely the same effect as the over
fondness OF another girl-poor Lucy.
| -
He drew himself up. Only then
| he realized that he had been leaning
down toward her in the unmistak-
| able attitude of courtship.
There was nothing here to court.
-" Not for him. Not for him. A
perfect mother, a finished flirt-No
| lover.
| In a voice that made her look up
| In surprise, SO different was it from
! the one in which he had uttered his
| last words, he said:
so this is good by"
She caught her breath. She was
sorry; yes, sorry as a girl child who
has said mo, thank you," to ice
| cream which has now been removed
from the table. 1t was obvious that
she had not meant this for the ulti-
mate good-by. Was it because he
| was English that he couldn't see
mat ne might be allowed to hope =?
| Had these men to receive definite
! encouragement-or else did they
go-just go?
She said (but without that softer
note that only child could make
sound In her voice.. Well Do 7
miss you?"
"Ah, no." he returned quickly. and
with little laugh. You don't have
10. You'll never miss mel mean
It's too much luck to hope for that.
l understand"
He took her hand.
Goodnight, Jennie. The best Of
luck, always. Say good-by to the
boy for me-"
Surprised. more than she had been
IN all her life, she. exclaimed, Aren't
you coming upstairs to see him ?"
Il don't think l will, thank YOU.
no. don't think I'll see the little
enap again. You say goodnight to
him for me. Like this,
And. bending down again. he n,,+
a kiss into the short thick curIs
above her ear.
(Continuad T.->..N