Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-04-14
A MARRIAGE
CONTRACT
It Was Made by Two Mothers
For Their Babies.
BY JOHN Y. IARNED :
-


Miss Cunningham's mother had been
dead a month. The daughter did not
wish to live in the big house alone,
ertheless, having NJ one to live with
her, she determined reluctantly to shut
1t up and become a wanderer. With a
view to leaving matters in good order
and cleaning out a good deal of ac-
emulation h set herself to work, be-
ginning with Anticipated family docu-
ments. She was engaged on d trunk
full of papers when she came upon
what was marked on the back, Con
tract between Mrs. Mary Cunningham
and Mrs. Sarah Forbes" which set
forth that Mrs. Cunningham contract
ed to marry her daughter Emma, then
just born, to Mrs. Forbes son Edwin,
a boy of three years, said marriage to
take place when the children should
become respectively twenty-three and
twenty.
Emma Cunningham sat for some time
with this paper in her hand as If in
q dream. The contract was doubtless
the result of a strong friendship be-
tween two young women and probably
had been entered into with slight prob
ability of ever being carried out. EN-
mas mother had never mentioned it
to her daughter and quite likely had
forgotten IL. Emma remembered Ed
win Forbes when he Gas fourteen
years old, a welcomed boy, whom
she had considereN attractive, though,
she being but eleven, he had looked
upon her as a kid and treated her ac-
cordingly. His girl chum at that time
was a year older than himself.
81 wonder" Emma unused, "if he
has ever come across his mothers copy
of this contract, for she doubtless had
a copy. l wonder where he Is and
what is his worlds work. If he IL as
nice as he was eight or nine years
ago.
She folded the contract and was
about to toss it into a heap of papers
to be burned when she changed her
mind and, having closed the trunk,
took it to her room and locked it in her
writing desk.
1I1i1a a ~ A@(
to break up her past associations and
continued to live on as she was from
day to day, month to month. Half a
year later she was sitting by the win
dow sewing when a strange young
man came up the walk and rang the
doorbell. Then a maid brought In a
card bearing the name of Edwin
Forbes. Being received by Miss Cum
ningham. he spoke to her in a con
strained manner and with great for
mality.
J 81 believe, Miss Cunningham, that
your mother and my mother years ago
were friends. Since l was to pass
through this place, my mother asked
me to learn something about your fam
lily. She is DESTROYS to learn if your
mother is still living and how situated"
MY mother died several months
ago." Emma replied.
Indeed! Mother will be panied to
hear of her death. Though separated
for a number of years from her friend,
she has never forgotten her"
81 have heard my mother speak of
Mrs. Forbes quite often" replied the
girl. 81 think your family were here
when you were a boy Of about four
teen"
THAT s~ojourn here was very brief.
After we went away again mother
tells me that she and Mrs. Cunning
ham drffted apart from each other.
Singular. isn't it, how persons who
have been intimate pass completely out
of each others lives?"
Every"
Mr.. Forbes arose, assured Miss Cum
ningham that he was very glad TO
meet her again and that his moth
er would be pleased to hear Of her,
though she would be grieved to hear
of her friends death. Miss Cunning
ham replied in equally courteous terms,
asked Mr.. Forbes how long he would
remain in the town and when he said
he would not likely get away for sew
eral days asked him to call again. With
this he bowed himself out.
He had no sooner gone thar Emma
gave herself up to wondering. Did he
NAO" ohS I'LL obOot In NOIAIlOSb Liz
mothers had made? Did his mother
remember II? Had she ever said any
thing to him about it?
Emma received a letter from Mis-.
Forbes condo!ing with her upon the
loss of her mother and regretting the
loss of her own friend. The missive
expressed a good deal of feeling. The
writer explained that her son had not
called again on Miss Cunningham be-
cause his stay was Unexpectedly cut
short.
This explanation did not alter Miss
Cunningham's opinion that she had no
special attraction for Mr.. Forbes, and
she sighed as she folded his mothers
letter and put it back in It's envelope.
An incipient romance appeared to have
been spoiled. Edwin Forbes had not
appeared to advantage, being evident
1v constrained Nevertheless ha was n