Show I Rocking Chair By JANE OSBORN B O b br Dr McClure Newl A Pr H l v U Service Serlee r lc IY June the ten year ten year graduates E of Brock Brockton ton college make a special effort to be back at commencement time Ia lait t June it a was nag s 's turn to come hack back and the u usual ual arrangements arrangements arrange arrange- e- e for their ments were wre made to pro provide the gala Jalo week entertainment during Cynthia Burton was I as making tons for the Sunday tea ta party which her father Professor Burton always gave e It for the men Dpn who returned beatIng beating beat beat- Saturday morning Cynthia was Ing up the hatter batter for a variety varlet of or sugar cookies for which the Hurton tea parties parties parties par par- ties had Ion long been famous Ten Teo years ago 1110 she had helped her mother with her mothers mother's these dainties and since death she had taken a loyal 1081 pride in 10 making them I In the precise old old old-fash fash fashioned toned lond way catty Stella Alden her cousin sat beside her cracking nuts that were later to tobe tobe be tie chopped and used with Ith cream cheese and other things for the tilling filling of the sandwiches next neit day duy She had stopped on her way to Cynthia's at lit the railroad station on 00 a Il pretext pretest of getting a 8 time table and there she had seen Slen some of the boys hoys of IJ 1022 If the gang l t isn't nt all nil here sh she salt said It Is almost all here You You Youve e nl no Idea Idla how some fIDDle of them have changed I wa was wag talking to Marry harry Wallace Wallac Wallace mem member mem her ber Harry Well 11 hes he's quite gray ray but terribly good looking And AnI Freds Fred's coming com com- ing going ing-going going to put up at the Inn because because be he- cause hes he's brought ht his wife Tim Bruce Brue and Granger ranger lr Yates tales and PI Piggy y Brown are all back Carrot Jones and Smith are coming and coming and someone someone some some- one said call they had heard In a roundabout roundabout round round- about way that Rocking Hocking Chair was wascom com coming I n Member Rocking Chair Cynthia looked up with a n flu suspicion of a smile III Yes I Yes I do But I dont don't e belle hed he'd come lies He's been In South America ever er since h he graduated Queer fish wasn't he from Crom Stella Piggy y Brown saId sold he hI hadn't heard hartt nn anything about him him him-couldn't couldn't even n remember remember re rl member why they called him Mocking Hocking C hair Nobody ennui could l knew well enough nough but she didn't say so In the da days s 's when the 11 2 1022 2 men were wre still Professor Burton had held open house for students every ry Sunday afternoon and there were always fifteen or ty rr who availed a themselves S or of his nis nos nos- Cynthia's mother poured the thetla theton ton tea In the old drawing room while Cynthia a rather shy girl under twenty hail had brought the tea things and the sandwiches and cookies from the kitchen hen And Anil almost every ry Sunday for two or three Ihre years a lank rather awkward boy hoy had sat at one side of or the IIII lira drawing wing room In III the Ihl old time rocking rocking rock rok ing chair hall drinking tea which he could not endure for the sake of or the cookies and other dainty morsels that went with It It He tie continued to come because each Sunday her hr mother had lUll held his clumsy brawny hand In iii tiers hers and ami mode made him hint promise to come a again aln the next neit week weik and there was a mute look of or gratitude In his deep gray eyes eps as ashe ashe he looked down at her On the campus In the dormitory dormitory all all about the till college town town the the tall awkward awkward awk awk- ward student who was working his way through college e was known as Hocking Chair hall And flocking Chair he had remained In the till memory of class class- tunics mates Most of or them could not even P recall that his real name naDle was lien 1110 then en I Since then of course rocking chairs I hall hail gone very Cry much out of or fashion I And l' l had h met with no opposition I tion on Oil the part of her father when the flip hl tt wanted to carry carry- the old oM rocker up I Into Inlo the attic I laving Having cracked and shelled the nuts I Stella made futile excuses She Rhe wanted to dress for fur the hall bill game ame that afternoon She Sh thought from something that Ilg Piggy y said that perhaps he ml might ht call all her hr up Ull So SI i t went wont on alone with the I preparations for Cor the ne next nett t days day's spread morning Cynthia went up Into the attic and ant In to a dingy corner found I the hp old olt rocker so covered with dust that Ihal It needed heeled a thorough soap I I and water scrubbing before she called her hor father to help her carry It down dOWD downto to the Ih old hi drawing room There were I tears In 1 eyes ejes because the of f the t old chair recalled so viv I idly lIy her mothers mother's understanding smile II us an nn n awkward boy hoy had looked I tally at nt her so many years jears ars ago I fifty returned graduates crowded I JOU I into 1111 the spacious lotis old drawIng draw draw- Ing room the hI next day dav hl and those who mild could nut not rind seats sat sit on cushions on the floor 1 tall 1111 distinguished ul man manof manof manof of thirty odd add Mt Litt lIt nt lit one nilI side of or the room In a shabby old rocking dial ha b A I I croup group of men had gathered II around rOil nd him while with brief terse I responses he I told them of the Ihl railroads he tie had find helped to build In South America I I They had not even p known that he was cans I in to charge chart of the gigantic I I of or which h they had heart heard so fIO much I Stella edging up to Cynthia as ItS they thy I brought In the hI plates of cookUs and ani I and Iches whispered with awe awe- Its I flocking Roi hair Chair I nt he stunning and so en Hooking I chair lingered after the others had gone Ione As s ho tn took Cynthia's I hand hantl In his tiers there was the old nil wistful look In his hll clear gray rny t jus eyes It seems lUlS like pits old times he h. said kald You ou are url arem m very like Ilk your mother It II u was as an eventful reunion In n man many II I lIr r how y as liS u It r result 1111 of it Stelli Stella who h hail had let t so ninny 5 of s hii I in hr tier youth ai I ly ty pt I Ii x i lain think h Ing tint thit It II wi 1 i I L I. who h h hl el r nd nd n II v 11 n t r th Ir r urn sn n. n- n hill hh un i 1 II It I 11 i i th to fir ir o r n. n i in Hie Ilie Mth I M lr ut lit nig r |