Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-12-20
Edie Montforth,s Letter

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For time l sat with Aunt Vir.
ginia's letter in my hand, won
dering whether my longing to gel
away from the little home town
had been the calling OF my fathers
blood or my grandfather's suppres-
sion of every youthful aspiration
1t is strange how some people
forget that they were young. Of
ten think that grandfather must
have been narrow minded, ego
tistical boy. With this thought
l picked up my other letter.
Dear, dear Virgie." it began.
81 shall never forgive myself
for letting you go away from me
that night. l was coward, dear,
and at the same time selfish.
"You see, that very evening my
father had said that / could go
to Harvard. I was so happy about
it that l went out to walk off my
sleeplessness and found you.
Il was about to tell you my
great news when noticed the
heavy dress suitcase in your
hands and then-well, you know
the rest.
zone wild moment hoped that
l might persuade you to stay at
home with me and I determined
to go back to my father and tell
him that would rather marry and
settle down on the old place than
go away to college.
But you showed me how impos-
sible that would be and before
/ could think of my other plan the
train had come in and you had
gone out of my life.
"But | am not going to take
Fate's decision. / am not knocked
out of the ring of your Destiny,
Virgie, although took Fate's
count there at the station. But
/ am afraid that out there among
all those handsome men you will
forget me.
II have never been able to tell
you how wonderful and courage
ous.I thought you were in getting
up and leaving home. 1t was some
thing like we read in novels.
"a story got about think it
came from your Aunt Virginia
that your father had sent for you,
and you had gone to him abroad,
but / couldn't let that go. l told
the truth. l wanted that morose
old man up there in the big house
to understand Just what he had
done by selfishness and bigotry
"He met me on the street the
other day and raised his cane to
strike me, saying: You young
scamp! What do you mean by
spreading lies about my grand
'I grabbed the cane out OF his
naAu anu oaiu OAiy IOiu tuc
truth and you know it. If any
thing happens to her, you will
have to answer to that God you
daily invoke for blessing
''He turned purple with rage
and stamped away.
"Of course our quarrel called
many spectators and all sorts of
stories have been going the rounds
dad called me into the library
the other night and asked me
what it was all about. 1 told him.
He said: Son, that girl has grit.
Her mother was one of the most
beautiful girls in the south and
Ter father was one of the best ac-
.ors in his day. / saw him many
lines. I believe Virginia will sue
iced in anything she undertakes
md, son, after you have finished
ollege, IL you find that you still
owe her, shall welcome her. >"
The tears rolled down my face
IS read this and I determined
o be worthy Of this good mans
houghts of me.
1 turned back to my letter and
through the blurry mist which
louded my eyes l read: "Oh, Vir- '
lie, write and tell me that you
will wait for me. You do love
ne little, don't you? I just won't !
ook at girl all the long time 1 s
m in Harvard. I'll just work and l
york if only have the knowledge J
hat at the end I shall find you. {
81 shall wait impatiently. I
weetheart, until I get your an :
wer. If you write Immediately
shall receive it here before