He stood in a corner, and lots of folks came up and spoke to him and shook hands; and he bowed and smiled--but in between, when there wasn't anybody noticing, he looked so tired and bored.

After a time he stirred and changed his position, and I think he was hunting for a chance to get away, when all of a sudden his eyes, roving around the room, lighted on me.
My! but just didn't I love the way he came through that crowd, straight toward me, without paying one bit of attention to the folks that tried to stop him on the way.

And when he got to me, he looked so glad to see me, only there was the same quick searching with his eyes, beyond and around me, as if he was looking for somebody else, just as he had done the morning of the lecture.

And I knew it was Mother, of course.

So I said: "No, she didn't come." "So I see," he answered.