The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-01-10
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LAV.HiA BRAND
BY ELIZABETH N. LEE.


tel 1920. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
When Susan Mary Smith became
Susan Mary Evans, or, as she pre-.
ierred 1t, AIRS. Peer, pretty nearly
everything was changed, as we'll as
her name. She had always thought
Hinsvilie was a darling place to live,
but now thai they had come to West
Greenfield, she was not quite so sure
J about anything, for in West Greenfield
everything was different.
OF course, there was Peter, always
there was dear Peter, but even Peter
OF late had begun to change. He
was preoccupied and absent-minded,
and as long as she could Susan Mary
loyalty excused it on the grounds that,
OF course, the office manager Of the
biggest bakery for miles around would
have to be absent-minded. If he didn't
have a worried, careworn expression,
argued Susan Mary determinedly, he
wouldn't be working, and If he weren't
working, he wouldn't be thinking about
what happiness he could bring her.
So it was all for her, she thought
defiantly, until one awful day when
she was tidying Peters desk In the
den, bit of work she particularly
adored. Sorting out the envelopes of
different sizes, she had dropped bit
of paper with scribble of Peters
writing on it. She read it once, twice,
and even third time, and each time
her world got blacker, for the writing
| on the paper said:
"Lavinia Brand"
Now who could Lavinia Brand be?
Susan Mary sat down on the uncom-
Portable edge of chair and thought
and thought, and the more she
thought, the more certain she became.
For up in Hinsville there was fam
lily by the name of Brandt, and one
Of the daughters had gone to school
with her. What could be more nat
ural than In these days of anti-every-
thing that sounded German the family
had dropped the obnoxious "t'' and
become plain Brand? And that girl
her name began with L. she was sure.
Lucretia, Leonora-what was it?
"Im p-p-positive it's Lavinia," wall
ed Susan Mary, and with a sudden,
fierce little gesture she tore the offend
ing slip Of paper in hundred pieces.
Then one morning a bit Of paper
fell out of Peters coat pocket as he
pulled out his handkerchief, and Susan
Mary picking it up, inquired innocent
ly as to what it was, knowing perfect
,ly well that it was THAT Name"
With an expression almost guilty
Peter snatched it and crammed it back
in his pocket, hurriedly telling Susan
Mary that it was nothing at all and
it was very late and he must hurry or
he would miss the car.
The climax came that afternoon
when Peter called up and told her
that he was bringing Mr.. Grayson to
supper. Mr.. Grayson was the man
ager, and Peter worshiped him.
OF course everything went beauti-
fully. Susan Mary was too proud to
let Mr. Grayson know that there had
been any suspicion of GOODNESS be-
tween Peter and herself, and she was
honey-sweet to both the men. Peter
was a bit puzzled, for the atmosphere
of late had been decidedly frigid, and,
manlike, he put the browning touch
upon it all. AS Mr.. Grayson was
leaving Peter went out to the hall
with him, and stood talking in low
voice, but not quite so low but what
Susan Mary could hear the managers
voice.
"And Lavinia Brandt" And then
Peters voice, worried, hasty-"For
heavens sake-my wife doesn't know
anything about that!"
Quite convinced that her heart was
broken, Susan Mary still bided her
time.
She had become quite resigned to
the bits of paper floating around ev-
erywhere, and she was really very |
calm and cool and collected when Pc
ter called her up and told her that he |
was bringing Lavinia Brand home that |
evening
Eyes, I remember her." said Susan
Mary sweetly, and was rewarded by
burst of laughter from the other end,
and ooh, Lord! You remember her?'
and then the receiver clicked agra
vatingly.
But Peter came alone. Only he car
ried bundle, which he waved at her
as she stood on the piazza, and then,
at the exultation in his
face, she felt herself picked up bodily
In his arms, and heard only con-
Lavinia Brand
made" before she
had sense enough to disengage herself
and demand Historically what 1t all
meant.
Here's what it means!" cried Pc
Ter joyously, waving the package
again, and when at last they were
safely indoors he opened it, talking
Ill the while. "You see, Grayson want
ID some other line besides just bread
Ao f,p.