Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-27

say I would survive. although 1 am not
worried. 1 hold the office only because
the married. women and the younger
girls are too bus,-s
ITO think Of 'Hau marrying a
Karsonr' her mother whimeered, aaS
held a flimsy lace handkerchief 10 ter
wet eyes.
'.Old Karson can't write."->irer- father
shouted. ANY one would think you
were so anxious to get married.
Marian interrupted him. Her face was
flushed Randall Karson is a graduate
of the state law school. He can't help
his fathers lack of education. And there
Is one thing. his father Is good to his
mother. Randall boasts that they never
differ. AS for being anxious to get mar
is any one making a bad bargain, it is
Randall. for l am neither young nor
pretty"
She walked quickly out of the room
and went upstairs to brood over the
situation. The caste Of a small town
India Her father made barely a living
out of his small reai estate holdings;
her mother never had a dollar to spend.
They lived in a shabby old house and
people were complacently sure that
they were the salt of the earth and
their daughter and only child far too
good for the clerks, young doctors and
lrdNellnS statesmen tlat were the only
matrimonial material of the town.
Marian had been raised in the atmos-
phere of superiority. She herself had
been bit offended when Randall Kar-
son, home on visit to his parents,
had singled her out. He had gone away
to school years before, worked his way
and now had a fair practice in a west
ern town. He had forgotten or over
looked all idea Of the caste in his home
town. In week Marian had learned
that it was thing of fungous growth
that il had nothing to do with real Iiy-
Ing. But she had not so far forgotten
II that she could not understand ex-
actly how her parents felt In a way
she pitied them. They would suffer
she knew just how intensely they would
suffer-and they were old. But she had
no intention of allowing them to spoil
her life, and she acknowledged plainly
to herself that her life would be worth
less without Randall karson. She even
yet wondered why he wanted her when
he could have had younger and prettier
girls. Living in the small town. watch
ing year after year a younger crowd push
the older ones farther into the back.
ground, she had come to underestimate
her own charm. II had surprised her
when Randall Karson told her he had
loved her since they were children in the
first grade
why did you wait so long," she asked
him once
ne iauShed GuiZzicaIfy She liked is
laugh. IL was big and hearty. like him
self. One has to have something &c
offer a Hail. he replied. IL was the
nearest he came to referring 10 the diff
ference In their social status and she
had not continued the subject
She went down to dinner presently IL
was very unpleasant meal. Their one
maid was slatternly and not skillfui but
she was the best cook they could afford
Marian would have been glad to discharge
her and do the work herself She had
plenty of time and longed 10 expend her
superfuous energy some way. but that
did not accord with her parents sense OF
the proprieties.
Her mother barely niDbled her food. She
wiped away one tear after another. sniff
fng miserably until Marian's taut nerves
threatened to snap. Her father ate nosly