Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-08-23
FROM THE COUNTRY.
0184 Learns that Good Principles
Out Weigh City Advantages.

01B1 Learns that Good Principlea
Out Weigh City Advantages.
A. the street-car rolled along, Anna
Wood studied Marie Burdick's pretty
gown with a growing realization that
her own dress and manner were plainly
marked, From the country" The diff
ference between Marie and herself she
reflected, envlously, could all be sum
med up in the one word-advantages.
For her part, she saw no reason why
just because her mother and Marie's
had been school chums, they should in
sist on friendship between their
daughters. She wished she had not
come to pay this visit, and was heart
| lily glad that the last hour of it would
soon be over.
When they left the car Marie said
There's lot of time before your train
goes, Anna, and want to stop at the
Thurlow House a minute"
Leading the way into large hotel,
she stepped to the desk and spoke to
the clerk. He nodded, and handed her
| letter. Marie, her puzzled friend from
the country still following, took the
elevator to the parlor. and asked to
be excused while she read her letter.
As she turned its pages her face
flushed and grew pale. She put 1t back
In the envelope and tried to chat with
Anna, but there was an undercurrent
Of suppressed excitement, and at last
It broke barriers.
"Anna," she said, In a low tone, ut
can't do any harm to tell you-I'm
not going back home. I'm going to be
married tonight. Hush! He thinks
the world Of me, Anna. My brother
Frank made all the trouble. He told
father and mother that Gus Morton
drank, and wasn't good, but l never be-
lieved one word Of 1t, and Gus said
twas all jealousy on Franks part that
made him do 1t. ! have promised him
that as soon as he was ready would
marry him, no matter what any one
said. l ought to have had this letter
two days ago, but l couldn't get a
chance to call for 1t. He's coming to-
day, Anna. I'm to meet him in this
room In just two hours
Marie paused. She expected awed
sympathy, but the girl from the coun-
try was not even looking at her. In
stead, she was seeing mother waiting
with desperate anxiety that night for
the daughter who had not come home.
She was feeling the sorrow-the dan
ger-that lay ahead. Her impulse was
to speak out harshly against Marie's
deception of her best friend; to de-
nounce a man who would ask girl
to begin her married life with a decep-
up from her heart went prayer for
help.
Then she said, quietly, Marie. l
heard your mother telling your father
yesterday that the reason she got on
with you better than he could was be-.
cause she trusted you. She said you
knew 1t would break her heart II you
betrayed that trust, and she was sure
you would never do It,"
Marie looked up, startled. Anna had
rissn-not deprecating now, nor Ill at
ease.
'You can't cheat any one who loves
you and trusts you like that" she went
on. "You can't! Whatever you do az
terward, you must 60 now and tell her
all about It."
A struggle followed, but Anna Wood
never faltered. She realized now, with
sudden thankfulness, that she had
brought from her country home some
thing greater than city advantages"
'Come," she said. at last. I'm not
going home on this train. I'm not 60
Ing at all until see you safe In your
mothers arms And Marie went with
her.