Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-29
DAILY NOVELETTE,
LETTERS
BY X. Estelle Everett


is all, Miss Parsons. Try to finish
them before five."
Every well, Mr.. Long" Margery
Parsons, picking up her note book and
pencil, stepped to the outer office. She
set to work and soon her fingers were
flying over the typewriter keys. As she
started the last letter, she glanced at
the clock. Only twenty minutes of five
A whole half hour left in which to give
her desk much needed cleaning. Just
then a tall young soldier entered.
'Is Mr.. Long in?" he inquired.
"Yes," replied Margery, "but he is
engaged now. He will be able to see
you in about twenty minutes. Will you
leave a message or waltz"
"Thank you, I'll watt" he answered,
taking a chair near the window.
Margery went on with the letter,
keeping one eye on the clock. 1t was
Just quarter of five when she finished,
so there was plenty of time. She pulled
out the top drawer and started in.
'It didn't take you long to do that,
did it," volunteered the soldier. II
wish could typewrite," he went on.
"It's really very simple" she ex-
planned. "All one needs is practice" p"
That's the way it is with most
things"
Suddenly the door opened. "I'm very
sorry, Miss Parsons" the head book
keeper said us he entered, "but Miss
Macdonald has gone home i'll, SO will
you please stamp and seal these let
ters?" He placed two large piles on
| her desk.
Certainly, Mr.. Davis" answered
Margery, smothering sigh as she
glanced over the Uttered desk.
The young man, interpreting hel
troubled look, crossed the room to hel
desk, saying, ''If you like, I'll fix the
letters, while you 60 on with youi
desk"
Margery looked up, polite refusal OF
her lips, but the kindly brown eyes
above her changed the words.
"Why, yes," she exclaimed. "Pt
love to have you help, but I couldn'
think of your doing it all. We boil
can do it. I'll seal and you put on thu
stamps
"All right, that suits me-
Without further ado, he helped he
push the contents of the drawer to on
side, and they started in. When abou
half done, the pile of envelopes at tn
soldiers left began to tottcr. He acci
IDENTIFY gave a quick jerk, and the pill
fell, taking with it a number of article
which Margery had taken from tn
drawer.
"Oh I'm so sorry" he apologized, a
he stopped to pick them up. Amoni
them lay photograph of a young man
He caught it up with an exclamation.
pardon me for inquiring," he said
"but is this Alec Parsons? 1t look
very much like him; he and l wer
buddies at camp
"Why, yes, that's my brother Alec,
exclaimed Margery. ''Then you mus
be the Alan Morton we've heard S
much about Are you?'
He nodded.
Mother got letter just the othc
day, saying that you had come Noltf
1 Alec said he'd try, to get in touch wit
l you to have you come here, so we coul
, meet you. Could you go out to Over
dale this evening? Mother alway
wants to meet Alec's friends"
"Well," laughed Morton, "the reaso
I came to see Mr.. Long was becaus
| dad told me to look him up SO I'd hav
something to do this evening. He an
dad were chums long ago. I'd like
S meet Alec's folks" he continued. NV
heard a great deal about them, too
? By this time the pile of letters ha
n greatly diminished. Margery, thanks
= Morton, did get the drawer fixed up,
h the accompaniment of much CONVERSE
t ton. Because of their mutual frient
S the two felt like. old acquaintance. BE
y fore she left the Office, Margery gay
= him directions for reaching Overdal
It Morton had decided to see Mr.. Long
;, deliver some messages-but he promise
O TO be at the Parsons home before IL
n evening ended
| Morton kept his promise, and befo
y he left received Margery's promise thi
she'd answer his letters.
q For nulnDeF VI Hiohths INC lette
n flew thick and fast, until two young so
lie diers in uniform for the last tin
is alighted from the train at Overdal
1t Then the letters stopped. Not becau
y the writer had become tired of ther
W but Alan found that he couldn't say Q
1T he wished to by letter. Also, it W
= much more satisfactory to talk thi
to write.
r. Shortly after wedding was solemn
III lied at Oakdale, with Alec as best ma
We After which Alan and Margery ba
:! good by to the little town. With tn,
I. faces turned southward, they set out
Ill write together a long letter in the Bo
g. of Life.
OF The next complete novelette, "T,
Id Inconsistencies"