The Holbrook news., 1922-05-19

PREFACE--Mary Marie explains her Apparent double personality" and just why she Is a "cross-current and a contra diction;" she also tells her reasons for writing the diary-later 10 be novel. The diary Is commenced at Andersonville.
 CHAPTER Mary begins with Nurse Sarahs account of her (Narys) birth. which seemingly interested her father. who Is a famous astronomer. less than q new star which was discovered the same night Her name Is a compromise. her mother wanted to call her Viola and her father insisting on Abigail Jane. The child quickly learned that her home was in some way different from those Of her small friends. and was puzzled thereat Nurse Sarah tells her of her mothers ar rival at Andersonvilie as bride and how astonished they all were al the sight of the dainty eishteen-year old girl whom the sedate professor had chosen for wife.
 CHAPTER II.-Continuing her story, Nurse Sarah makes it plain why the household seemed strange one 10 the child and howher father and mother drifted apart through misunderstanding each too proud to in any way attempt to smooth over the situation.
 CHAPTER III.-Mary tells of the time spent "out vest where the perfectly all right and genteel and respectable" divorce was being arranged for. and her . By the courts decree the child is tO spend six months of the year with her mother and six months with her father. Boston is Mothers home, and she and Mary leave Andersonville for that city to spend the first six months.
 CHAPTER Iv.-At Boston Mary be. comes Marie" She is delighted with her new home. so different from the gloomy house at Andersonville- The number of gentlemen who call on her mother leads her 10 speculate on the possibility of new father. She classes the callers as prospective suitors." finally deciding the choice Is to be between ''the violinist and a Mir. Harlow. conversation she overhears between her mother and Mir. Harlow eonvinees her that 1t Will not he that gentleman. and ito violinist" seems to be the likely man. Mrs. Anderson re ceives a letter from Aunt Abigail Ander- son. her former husbands sister. whi is keeping house for him. reminding her that Mary" Is expected at Andersonville for the six months she Is to spend with her father. Her mother Is distressed. but has no alternative. and Marie depart' for Andersopvile-
 CHAPTER v.-At Andersonville Aunt Jane meets her at the station. Her fa- ther is away somewhere. studying an eclipse of the moon. Marie-"Mary' nOw-tnstinctively compares Aunt Jane, prim and severe, with her beautiful. dainty mother, much to the formers disadvan- tage. Aunt Jane disapproves of the daIn- ty clothes which the child is wearing. and replaces them with ''serviceable'' serges and thick-coled shoes Her father arrives home and seems surprised to see her. The child soon begins to notice that the girls at school seem to avoid her. Her father appears interested in the life Mrs. An derson- leads at Boston and asks many questions in queer manner which puzzles Mary. She finds out that her schoolmates do not associate with her on account of her parents being divorced. and she refuses to attend school. Angry aS first, Mir. Anderson. when he learns the reason for her determinat ton. decides that she need not go. He will hear hei lessons. In Aunt lanes and her fathers absence Mary dresses In the pretty clothes she brought from Boston and plays the hveliest tunes she knows. on the little used piano. Then, overcome by her lone someness, she indulges in a crying spell which her fathers unexpected appear anee interrupts She sobs out the story of her unhappiness. and in clumsy way he comforts her. After that he appears to desire to make her stay more pleasant Her mother writes asking that Mary be allowed to come to Boston for the begin ming of the school term. and Mir Ander- son consents though from an expression he lets fall Mary believes he Is sorry she Is going
 ne says -:ts are lovely He likes her best in blue. He's very lone ly, and he never found woman be- fore who really understood him. He thinks her soul and his are tuned to the same string. (Oh. dear, That sounds funny and horrid. and not at all the way it did when he said it. IL was beautiful then. But-wel. that Is what 1t meant. anyway)
 She told him she was lonely. too and that she was very glad to have him for friend and he said he priZed her friendship above everything else ii hn -rnpl1 nd at follows her around the room with his eyes; and she blushes up real pink and pretty lots of times when he comes into the room.
 Now, If that isn't making love to each other, l don't know what is. I'm sure he's going to propose. Oh, I'm so excited,
 Oh, yes, I know if he does propose and she says yes, he'll be my new fa- ther l understand that. And. of course, I can't help wondering how I'll like it. Sometimes I think l won't like it at all. Sometimes I almost catch myself wishing that I didn't have to have any new father or mother I'd
 
 I wouldn't need q new father if my father-by-Order-o -of-the court would be as nice as he was there two or three times in the observatory.
 But. there. After all, must remem- Der that I'm not the one that's doing the choosing. It's Mother And if she wants the viOlinist I mustn't have any thing to say. Besides I really like him very much. anyway. He's the best of the lot. I'm sure of that And that's something. And then, of course. I'm glad to have something tO make this 6 love story, and best or all l would he glad to have Mother stop being d. y0rced, anyway.
 Mir. Harlow doesn't come here any more, guess. Anyway. I haven't seen him here once since l came back and I haven't heard anybody mention his name
 Quite lot of the others are here.