The Nevada County picayune., 1922-07-13
hfB@MARY{Ia, @&MARIE2W R ELEANOR H. PORTER
 ILLUSTRATIONS BY
 RH.UVINGSTONE. 
 (Copyright by ELEANOR H. PORTER)
ILLUSTRATIONS BY RH.LVINGSTONE.
fcopyright by ELEANOR H. PoRTER)
TWO WEEKS LATER


 Grace, and 1t is love story.
 Father Is in love with her.
 Now I guess l shall have something for this book
 It seems funny now that 1 didn't think of it at 1rSt. But I didn't-nOt until heard Nellie and her beau talk ing about it. Nellie said she wasn't the only one in the house that was going to get married. And when he asked her what she meant, she said it was Dr. Anderson and Mrs. Whitney. That anybody could see it that wasn't as blind as bat.
 My, but wasn't I excited? I just guesss was. And, of course, l saw that I had been bind as bat. But l began to open rny eyes after that. and watch-not disagreeably, you know, but just glad and interested, and on account of the book.
 And I saw:
 That Father stayed in the house lot more than he used to.
 That he smiled more.
 That he actually asked Cousin Grace and me to play for him several times.
 That he went with us to the Sunday schoo! picnic q never saw Father at a picnic before, and doHt believe he ever saw himself at one.)
 That-oh, I don't know, but a whole lot of little things that l can't remem- Der; but they were all unmistakable, very unmistakable. And l wondered, when I saw it all, that l had been as blind as a bat before
 When I wrote Mother l told her sll about 1.-the signs and symptoms, I mean, and how different and thawed- out Father was; and l asked If she didn't think it was so, too. But she didn't answer that part. She didn't write much, anyway. It was an aw- fully snippy letter; but she said she had a headache and didn't feel at all we'll So that was the req son, probably, why she didn't say more-about Fathers love affair, l mean. She only said she was glad, she was sure. if Father had found an estimable woman to make home TOT him and she hoped they'd be happy Then she went on talking about some thing else. And she didn't write much more. anyway, about anything AUGUST
 Well of all the topsy-turvy worlds, this is the topsy- -turviest, l am sure. What do they want me to do, anu us,,ch do they want me to bef Oh, l wish I was just plain Susie or bes sic and not a cross-current and con tradiction. with a father that wants me to be one thing and mother that wants me to be another! It was Dad anough before. when Father wanted me to be Mary, and Mother wanted me to be Marie. But now
 Well. to begin at the beginning.
 It's all oyer-the love story, l mean and know now why it's been so nara for me to remember to be Mary ana why everything is different. and all:
 They don't want me to be Mary.
 They want me to be Marie
 And now I don't know what 10 think. If Mothers going to want me to he Mary, and Fathers going to want me to be Marie, how am l gong to know what anybody wants, ever! Resides 1t was getting to be such a haautiful love story-Father ana Cou sin Grace. And now
 put let me tell you what happened
 I, wss last night. We were on the n,azza. Father. Cousin Grace ana l. She got up and went into the house For something-Cousin Grace, mean and All of sudden l determined U" .ou Father how glaG l was, about nm and Cousin Grace; and how hopeu |, ,uor,d last-having him ont there with us. and all that. And to'u nun
 I don't remember what l said eAAct' " But I hadn't anywhere near shlc what I wanted to when he did s'ol me. Why, he almost Jumped out o' his chair.
 "Maryy" he gasped. What in the world are you talking aboutF
 "Why. Father, was telling you exnlained. And I tried to be so coo and calm that it would make nm cam and cool. too. (But it didn't calm mn or cool him one bit.) Its about "hei you're married and-V
 "Marriedp he interrupted agalh