The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-11-06
CHAPTER /.
1 Am Twenty-One.


Self Book.
This new book is beautiful. l
bought II for . birthday present.
and I've put on thick. creamy.
expensive-looking fly-leaf, ITO
gandra Phayre. on her twenty
first birthday, from her affection
ate self"
/ have always SO wanted to be
called Sandra, instead of Sandy.
which Is hateful nickname.
The. book locks up with a gold
key, like the bangle Jimmy Nc
Lean gave my cousin Marguerite,
which got ON her nerves, and
made her have Mysteries one night
because she couldn't get II off.
!. That was the first year | was sent
to ~boarding-school in New York
with her, and she was fifteen and
was twelve.
Scribbling has been q great
comfort'sto me. 1t was on my
twelfth birthday started the
book. And this is the third vol
ume; but the first two are very
fat ones. l bought them big, be-
cause years seemed so long In
those days.
8 My first volume / called Let
ters to My Darling Mother"
wonder what Aunt Dora would
ray II she saw that inscription?
i never had time to know my
mother, because she died before
. was three. But sometimes 1t
seems as If can remember her.
distinctly see beautiful young
face bending over me when I'm in
bed.
Once was silly enough to re-
mark before Aunt Dora that l
could .remember my mother; and
when she said / couldn't possibly
do 80, went on to describe the
face that comes before my eyes.
But Aunt Terra and Marguerite
both laughed, They thought was
describing myself. as l imagined
myself to be.
You've heard that you look
like your mother" said Aunt
Dora. Its true you do look lit
tie like your mother. But she
was very pretty. and you never
will be-"
do wish Aunt Dora wouldn't
say that 1t doesn't matter whether
. girl as rich as l am is cookbook
ing or not; because, II l were
very pretty and fascinating, like
Marguerite, | could feel that peo-
pie cared about me for my own
sake.
1t is a great pity Marguerite
hasn't got as much as have, and
she thinks SO. too. But / should
love to give it to her, IL fathers
will hadn't stated exactly what he
wanted to be done for his sister,
Aunt Dora, and her daughter Mar
guerite. Anyhow, father left her
only five thousand dollars a year,
and Marguerite one thousand for
herself. while have an income of
a hundred and fifty thousand, and
am forbidden to Nive them a pen
ny.
Luckily, I can make them pres
ents, though 1t would be little
pleasanter IL Aunt Dora didn't be-
have as II I were INVITING her
with poverty.
Although my father lived till
was twelve, l don't feel that
knew him intimately. My father
was very busy always, making
3 more and more money. l was a
bit afraiad of him; so that was
the reason / wrote that volume
OF letters from school to my darl-
ling mother.
It was the next volume l began
to call the "Self-Book"; but now,
when l come to read over bits of
Il. find more about other people
than about myself, especially the
hero" l never saw him, and
probably never shall.
But wouldn't 1t be wonderful IL
] should meet him, in England,
where We are going-Aunt Dora
and Marguerite and l He's there
now, ! know, for / read in a pa
per the other day that he'd come
home from India.
Usually there isn't very much
In San Francisco papers about
people and things In other coun-
tries. But somehow he is still
every ones hero, as we'll as mine,
and of course people over here are
Interested because he's American
on his mothers side.
Last Wednesday, at the good
bye lunch Mrs. Paul Wright gave
for Marguerite and me, | met
woman who actually knows Sir
Miles Culver. She is an English
authoress, and her name is Mrs.
Lane.
$50 you're going to England?"
she asked.
I replied that I was.
Il wonder which OF our dukes,
marquises or earls will fall a vic
tim to you next season." she muir
INJURED.
Unfortunately, Marguerite, who
sat opposite. had heard. She never
has any mercy on me.
Sandy has a hero already in
England" she said.
Please. Marguerite, dont" I
couldn't help imploring.
"0h. we all had heroes at
school," she went on. Sandy was
no worse than the rest of the girls.
Most OF Us took actors, but Sandy
chose an Enslishman. Sir Miles
Culver. That was ten years ago.
And You know how, after the Boer
war, and Sir Miles Culver had
been everybody's hero In the siege
OF Ladysackett. they sent him to
India to stop some mutiny or
ether. There was a big fuss about
him, even in our American pa
pers. His pictures were in all
the magazines and papers: Sandy
cut one out. I'm sure she's got
that picture to this day"
Have your" asked Mrs. Lane.
II wonderf- I murmured. 1T
~ o. Ia.