The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-12-09


"Well, I'll get them started on gen.
ealogy and perhaps they can find
enough In common to keep them
amused for the weekend" And rather
reluctantly, for she still felt that the
temperaments of Nancy and Nathaniel
would be no more sympathetic than oil !
and water, she turned her attention to
ordering the wherewithal to keep her
large family abundantly provisioned,
seeing that the old-fashioned four
poster beds In her guest rooms were
newly made up with linen sheets and
otherwise making ready for the house
party.
Nathaniel had at first shown only q
polite attention to Nancy when, on the
first day Of the party, Mrs. Stewart
proposed that they be partners for one
Of her nice little woodland strolls that
were so important a part of the pro-
gram for the other members of the
party.
She could not fail to notice that
conversation between them Jagged as
they wound their way after the others
through the freshly leaved trees in the
woodland. "And you aren't interested
In tennis, either" she heard Nancy
say, laughing, to Mr.. Stobridge-
"really you are most hard to talk to-"
"Oh, Nancy DEAR" Mrs. Stewart said
suddenly coming up to them. Il for
got to tell you that Mr.. Stobridge is
almost as enthusiastic about genealogy
as you are and he is one OF the colonial
Stobridges. But l know you have
found much In common" she fibbed,
without discussing anything so dry
as family records"
Thus having sowed the seeds Of con-
geniality she sauntered ahead to watch
over the interests Of the other men,
bers Of her little party.
ut is really most extraordinary"
Nathaniel told his hostess that night
as the party broke up to retire, ito
find young woman Of Miss Mar
bury's type so seriously interested in
genealogN We've had delightful
time talking-perhaps I should say
that have and now I am impatlently
looking forward to tomorrow"
! The next day-Saturday-Mrs. Stew
art was content to notice that Ma
thaniel and Nancy actually did con-
tinue their discussion and comparison
Of notes. "But don't you see how i'm
portant 1t is to prove that fifth inter-
marriage?" she heard Nancy saying al
most pleadingly. Because If I don't
my little volume of Marbury records
will be almost useless. I was so sure
that Hannah Jane did marry Nehe-
miah Stobridge. It was Nehemiah, /
am sure, and the rest Of the name
was blurred in the family Biblev'
Positively, my dear GIRL" she heard
Nathaniel reply. HE was confirmed
bachelor. There always have been
bachelors in the Stobridge family, and
I am true to type. It must have been
some other Nehemiah"
That night after all the guests had
retired, Mrs. Stewart heard low voices
in the hall below and only slightly
alarmed at vague thought Of bur
glars, she started to descend the broad
stairs Of the front hall. Then she
stopped short. For there by the last
dying glow Of the fire that had been
lighted to drive off the chill earlier In
the evening sat Nathaniel and Nancy.
Nancy had met him there to show him
her records.
you see, there is every reason to
believe that 1t was Nehemiah Sto-
bridge that my Hannah Jane married."
"But my dear little girl" Mrs.
Stewards pulses began to beat fast
for words like that are dear to the
heart Of a born match-maker-"my
dear little Nancy, Nehemiah was an
old bachelor" Then Mrs. Stewart tip
toed back to her room and slept con-
tent. She forgot the discussion and
disagreement about Hannah Jane and
Nehemiah and thought only of those
words Of Nathaniel's.
It was two weeks after her little
house party had come successfully to
a finish and all her guests had de-
clared it the most wonderful party
they had ever attended, when she got
letter from Nancy.
Nathaniel and I want you to know
first" the letter began, "and / think
perhaps you knew which way the wind
blew before your house party ended.
Yes, we are engaged and we are so
congenial. And this is how 1t hap
pened. I just had to find that fifth
intermarriage, and the idea struck
Nathaniel first that we could do It
II mean provide fifth intermarriage
between the Marburys aHd the Sto-
bridges. Only of course we would
have done 1t any wayne just couldn't
have helped 1t. And you, dear, are re
lunonSihla for n all -