The Marshall republican., 1908-12-25

sfas Howard for a year. and I know
hDw you will feel about keeping me
waiting too long. OF course l should
M think Of marrying again while you
90 with me-"
Mary thought she must faint. The
reoM went round and round, and then
- heard a voice, which must have
beso her own, stifly co%ngratulating her
fateser, heard him say something the
werts Of which she could not distln-
Gnish, and then she was up In her own
room.
"Oh," she moaned, what shall | do?
No n wants me. Papa is going TO
marry again. and even he thinks | do
not care for Dick. | must have acted
tsrribly for papa to think that. And
why didn't he tell me that he wanted
b marry? I'd have been glad Of 1t,
FOR then / could have married Dick and
would not have needed to worry about
papa at all. Oh, 1t is cruel! And now
Il Is too late. No wotder Dick stopped
caring If l acted like that-llke they
seem to think | have" She sobbed
miserably.
ihC NbuiIuh hNNt ~
ways wished l could have her with me.
I'd like to live with them, but they
don't want me either. Papa has said
time and again that such combinations
are always unhappy, and so ! must 20
away somewhere"
She sobbed herself to sleep that night
| after hours of wretched reflection aud
almost desperate thinking. She did MT
60 down to breakfast, but when she
heard her father leave the 'hOuSe Sic
went downtown and drew all OF tie
money which she had in the hank.
Then she bought u ticket for NV
York.
At noon her father, seeing hcw
wretched she looked at dinner, fit lie
a brute and cane very near to spoi.lIg
the whole thing. But she Slipped n.ay
too quickly to give him time 10 cuW-
NIT himeelf. and when lie wa "urp je
was in hes room he Cal!.d Lick ctI-
tiously up Oter the Eh0nc.
II sue~s you'd better cOine Ov"r,
I've made II hcIstly mes" Of tie
thing" he said. Then he called up TO
Mary that he hal to - back to thG
Office and tod her not to sit MP for
him and cleared out, feeling like Il
coward.
This was the chance Tor which Mary
was waiting. Hurriedly she finished
packing her suit case, wrote an ago
nlzed note TO her father. and, after
ircsslng herself In the long coat aud
lark veil which fleeing heroiles al
ways wore In the plays she had seen,
he let herself quietly out at the front
loor and reached the car. A young
man jumped off the outgoing car, look
ii ut her sharply and then swung mp
he steps of the ingolng car after her,
INT che did not notice.
"Vyas this what her father had meant
IN his telephone messenger" thought the
Young man. Well, he had made n mess
Of 1t.
1t was raining by this tlme-a dreary
little drlzzle-and when Mary alighted
nj the union station she would have
fallen on the slippery steps had not
come one seized the suit case. aud
caught her arm firmly. When she had
rcgained her balance the man did not
let go, but slid his grasp down to the
cold, wet hand.
"I.et me go! What do you meanf"
she gasped, and then she knew. She
began to cry.
MARY, Mary, so contrary, come on
home again." said Dick gently. 1--WE
didn't mean to go so far as this, dear,
in our little plot"
"We-our plot! What do you mean2
Did you anil father fix all this up for
trick? And-and'- To Dicks great
surprise and relief she began to laugh.
lie had expected tears, anger, even
rage. And then he began to feel fool
lsh.
Il guess | got just what / deserve.
was blind as a bat" she said. "W hen
do you want me to marry you, Dick,
II you can forgive me enough to want
me at all? Dick, you didn't think that
{ had really stopped caring, did you"
Mary's father was In the drawing
room when they got home and came
out into the hall to meet them. We've
been out walking" said Dick blandly.
"Yes, I see," said Mr.. Arnold, ignor-
ing the suit case and Mary's unusual
apparel. "Fine night, isn't itT'