7 minute read
Mark's Party
8
STUDENT LIFE
l>F:J,I..\ )IOHHEJ,f,
"Dad, can't I wear my long pants to the football game?"
Mark Sheffield's calm voice belied his feelings as he asked the question. It was one of the tragic moments of his young life. Perhaps that was why he thumped so queer ly inside as he waited for an answer . ' Mark stood just a little in awe of his father, and the new suit had been forbidden until sundry pairs of knickerbockers were worn out. Besides, Mr. Sheffield was cetrainly no ordinary man, but a Preoccupied Personage, who ate his b1.;akfast with the morning paper propi;ed against the sugar bowl, and at night donned a brown plaid smoking jacket, retiring to the library a silent, tired business man, while Sue played the pianola in the living room , and Mark-well Mark usually went to a picture shuw.
The brown plaid jacket too , was a curious thing. It had a way of creatin(l" an atmosphere , an unfriendly atmosphere, that said very plainly, "Please do not talk." Several times when Mark had had something troublesome upon his mind, he had hovered in the doorway trying to find enough courage to give a gently suggestive "h-m-m." Once Mr. Sheffield had glanced up when this ~ound had echoed through the room. "W'.hat is it, Mark?" he inquired absently . "Nothing, I-er-maybe I'm catching cold."
The stripes and checks were grinning at him derisively. "You would better go to bed, son."
Mark shook a menta l fist at the brown plaid, and let him- self quietly out of the front door.
On this particular Saturday morning, however, the earnest- ness of that freckled face ap- · pealed to him vague ly. "Well, I suppose so."
A suden impulse moved him. "By the way, could- er-use a little extra money?" "Bet cher !" exclaimed the boy. " But father, don't you think -" It was Sue's voice from the doorway.
Mark turned; stuck out his tongue e,xpres ~ively, and bolted around the corner of the house.
STUDENT LIFE
9
Since the day of their purchase, Mark's long trousers had been the subject of many a heated conversation, but they had never left their place in the bottom chiffonier drawer.
Mark had bought the new suit four weeks before for the wedding of his sister, Laura. When a boy of fourteen is sent alone, for the first time to select a suit, dire results are apt to follow. Such had been the case. Nobody had thought of a suit for Mark utnil two hours before the ceremony, and, as Mr. Sheffield had been detained at the office, and Sue, who us- ually attended to such matters, was engrossed with the bride's veil, Mark was sent off, in high but concealed glee, to get it for hi:nself. Not quite alone, eith- er. He had the critical advice and help of ];lud. Bud was four - teen, and lived next door.
On his return Mark entt>red the house with needless caution Five minutes before the last guest arrived a new being descended the stairway. From the part of his damp hair, to the squeak of his shoes, two ~iz2s too lar,.-e, Mark was fau ltless- from Mark's point of view. Sue's exclamation when she saw him, almost spoiled the wedding, but-Mark kept the suit .
N~xt morning he went down to breakfast a littl e apprehensively, but Mr. Sheffield merely ,.-lanced up without seeing him . Sue was sti ll as leep.
All morninl-!' long he delighted the youth of Riverdale street. He wus one of them,
st ill, in a way, not of them. Once when a yelping and barking lured Bud and all of th e others over the back fence, Mark almost forgot himself ; but remembering in time, he carefully dusted the knee that had rested on the top rail, and walked stoutly around the cor- ner past the gray stone house where Clarise Brown lived. Three times he patrolled the block, his shou lders very erect, his eyes fixed rigidly ahead of him, in the vain hope that Clarise might be gazing out of the front window. He would have yone back the fourth tim e but a far away whistle announ- ced luncheon, so he went home in tead.
With a very studied air of unconcern Mark entered the house whistling. Sue was waiting for him. That afternoon Mark amused himself quietly in the back yard, devising new mean s of enlar,.-ing the micro- scoric holes in the knees of his knickerbock ers. The new suit had lain folded in the lowest drawer ever since.
After getting what he wanted, Mark promptly dismissed the matter from his mind. Not so his father. All day it came up before his work. He hadn't known that Mark was so tal !or that his feet were so big. When had he grown? Mr. Sheffield shook his head, bendin g lower over his desk.
That night he stopped Sue in the hall. "Friday is Mark's birthda y_ Don't you think you could fix up something sort of special for
10
STUDENT LIFE
him. A party or somethingmaybe."
Sue's eyes opened slowly in astonishment. "A ,patty! For Mark!" "We ll-er- something like that. You think it over."
Sue did think it over, and Friday night Mark took six of his most intimate friends to the nearest picture show to see "Roscoe the Ruffian." Afterwards they were to have a real birthday supper. Mark had selected his guests carefully. Bud, of course, was there.
Pegtop Carroll's father had a new automobile. Spec Jones' oldest brother had given him a cowboy hat and a red silk handkerchief, once worn at a character party. Slim and Sliv- er Atkins were going to their grandmother's farm to spend Saturday afternoon, and Freddie Stewart had a new kind of water pistol. Rather, Freddie had had a new kind of water pistol, now it nestled comfortably in Mark's coat pocket.
How he loved to play the host. "Come in fellows," he said hospitably, throwing his hat in the general direction of the hall tree as he led the way to the dining room later in the evening .
In the darkened living room, with the doors aiar, Mr. Shef- field watched their progress with interest. "Everybody si' down," an- nounced Mark. "Make yer selves t' home; well I srnesR we're ready."
Quietly Sue passed around
and around the table. With surpnsmg speed the plates were alternately emptied and filled. "Wlill you have a little more chicken, Mark dear?" "Don't mind if I do." "Gee, ain't Sue a peach to- night," said Slim in a loud whisper.
Mark looked to see that the kitchen door was still open. "Oh, she's always like that," he answered nonchalantly.
After the last crumb of the great birthday cake had disappeared each guest settled back in his chair with a satisfied sigh. Finally Mark arose. Leading the way to the library he pulled a pile of war maps from the bookcase. "Betchu those ole German's wisht they hadn't ever started
any war."
"Aw Mark, my pa says they'- re going t' lick 'em all anyway." "Did yer pa say THAT, Bud," exclaimed Freddie disgustedly, "W'y my pa, he says the Kaiser can't hold 'em much longer, 'nen he'll get what's coming to him , you bet." "Well, my brother, Bill, said he'd like to show the English how to fight. He'd show 'em a thing or two, he would." "Aw, Bill 'ud run if he saw a gun. He don't know nuthi n' 'bout fightin' ."
Pegtop arose indignantly. "You better tell Bill that. You'd see if he knows how to fight ."
Unconsciously Sliver stopped a quarre l.
STUDENT LIFE
11
In the living room Mr. Sheffield smiled-perhap s a littl e sadly. Would he have been as lc;val to Mark? They had never
cli$CUSsed the war together .
In the hall each ooy beg.rn to hllnt for his hat; l\lark acc,, m- p;:nied them to th e dooi:.
"My, we've !1ad a sweil c;·.ne."
"Peachy." · "You bet." "Well, come again. Come often." Mark was getting reckless. "I'm going to have lots of parties like this." "Say Mark," called back Slim. "Come out to the farm with me'n Sliver tomorrow." "All right," Mark answered, closing the door.
