The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-04-30
a Sentimental
Legacy.
Copyrighted. 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.
By Martha Cobb Sanford.

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1t was impossible to convince Marion
Earle-she was only nineteen and very
! pretty-that the course of true love
never does run smooth Indeed. she
! believed that there was danger OF its
running too smoothly
Had she not been engaged one whole
month to Gregory Hobrook without
the suggestion of even of a cloud on
the horizon Of their happiness?
you don't find 1t monotonous, do
you. Gregory, just loving me this way?'
she asked him unexpectedly one even
ing.
"Monotonous!" he echoed, caressing
the brown head on his shoulder II
should say mott hope We'll go on low
ing each other this way forever"
But l don't" piped up Marion, sud
denly sitting bolt upright
Gregory could not believe his ears
lyon don't want me to go on loving
you this way. sweetheart" he gasped
"Oh, yes. of course. with interims.
dear" sighed Marion. But couldn't
you manage to misunderstood me some
times?"
well. certainly do not understand
you now" replied Gregory.
"Oh, that's an entirely different
thing" Marion explained.
Gregory shook his head In perplexity.
cts one thing not to understand
person at all" explained Marion pa
tiently, land another thing to misun-
derstand him--to disagree with him
and to quarrel"
you don't want me to quarrel with
you, dearest?" Gregory asked In amaze
ment.
Marion nodded her head
'Um-hum." she admitted ITS such
fun to make up"
AS Gregory burst out laughing a
spark OF something very like real an
ger kindled In Marion's brown eyes.
You're making fun of me-" she chal-
lenged.
"Of course am, you foolish little
girl" chuckled Gregory, gathering her
into his arms In a mighty hug and
smothering all her protests.
well, that was a failure" empha-
sized Marion as soon as she could get
her breath
"The hug| asked Gregory seriously
No. of course not" asserted Marion
before she could catch back the words.
Il meant the quarrel. Just the same.
Gregory shall think up some way to
make our eourtship exciting yet"
In spite of this warning Holbrook
was completely surprised when he re-
ceived within forty-eight hours the
following note from Marion:
Dear Gregory-I've thought of some
thing. Aren't you glad? The insplra-
ton came to me while reading the let
ters Of the Brownings. Just imagine
our being engaged a whole month with
out any chance of writing each other
love letters Why, we might have gone
on and been married without having a
single billet-deux to tie up in ribbon
and put away in an old trunk for Our
grandchildren. So Pm going away.
You'll find my address below No.
you can't see me off, but be sure to
have a long letter to meet me. Oh.
isn't 1t going to be fun? Goodby, dear
est. Your devoted MARION.
up. S.-This will be the first letter
It,"
Holbrook showed aside a pile of un-
opened mail and proceeded to write
Marion exactly what he thought of her
"a strange medley of mild reproach
and eXtravagant endearment. This he
sent off special" and then turned list
lessly to his business correspondence.
But as his mind wandered every now
and then to the thought of getting a
big, bullying envelope from Marion the
next morning he became more recon-
ciled to the situation-in fact, quite
feverish with anticipation. Marion
was right. after all. 1t was exciting
and absence certainly did make the
heart grow fonder.
The next morning Holbrook found
his mail, as usual. assorted in classi-
fed piles on his desk. Taking up the
batch marked Personal" he began to
run 1t over eagerly. He stopped sud.
denly as a colored postal card popped
unexpectedly into sight. He held it
up closer in order to decipher the al
most illegibly fine writing.
Dearest boy" he made out ''it is
lovely here, although you may not
think so from this F. C. You were
perfect dear to have that long letter
waiting here for me, Isn't the scheme
working out beautifully? No time for
more now. Write as soon as you get
! this. NJ"
/ For a few wrathful moments Hol-
brook sat chewing viciously on the end
/ Of his penholder. Suddenly. with the
manner of one who has made up his
mind, he threw it down and called his
stenographer
my dear Miss Earle" he dictated,
thinking you may find 1t more con-
venient in our future correspondence
to have on hand some of my self ad,
dressed business envelopes. | am hav-
ing a dozen of them sent to you under
separate cover. More will be forward
ed as soon as the supply is exhausted.
you failed to state in your recent
communication how long you think 1t
will take for your scheme to material