Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-04-01
Go on With the Story.

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write me| "Whyeyer" again! MAY
see it,"
He took the letter from his pocket
ana handed 1t To her. IT'S not cX
actly an inytation--not formal"
She did what he called Kicked" the
letter out of his envelope He watch.
ed her reading il and in his mind he
could see as perfectly as she with her
eyes, the odd, neat script, in his mind
he read 1t with her, word by word.
Dear Mario: Were back. We've
been from China to Peru-almost.
Come up one day and be bored abou.
it. How are you? Mona"
His thought was, Damn the letter."
Mabel handed il back, without re.
turning it to its envelope She said,
No. it's not formal"
She shipped three roses with aston
jshing swiltuess snip. snip, snip,
In half an hour the shallow basket
was beautihed with fragrant blooms
and Mabel thought she had enough
We'll, that's that" said Sabre as
they re-entered the morning room.
III.
She took up a creamy rose and
shipped off a fragment of stalk over
the saucer. why does she call YOU
Mako"
He was utterly taken aback. If the
question has come from anyone but
Mabel he would have quite failed TO
connect it with the letter But hero
had distinctly been an incident" over
the letter. though so far closed. as he
had imagined, that he was completely
surprised
He said. Who? Nona?'
Yes, Mona, if you like. Lady
Tybar.'
why she always has. You know
that"
Mabel put the rose into a specimen
vase with immense care and touched
speck off its petals with her fingers
81 really didn't"
Mabel, you know you do. You
must have heard her
We'll, | may have. But long ago
certainly didn't know she used it n
letters"
He felt he was growing angry.
What on earths the difference"
1T seems to me there's a great deal
of difference, didn't know she wrote
you letters"
He was angry Damn it. she
doesn't write me letters
She shrugged her shoulders. You
seem to get them, anyway"
MaddeniDg'
And then he thought, I'm not going
to let it be maddening This is just
what happens" He said We'll. this
is silly. I've known her-we've known
one another-for years, since we were
children, pretty well. She's called me
by my Christian name since | can re-
member You must have heard her
We don't see much of her perhaps
you haven't | thought you had Any.
way, dash the thing. What does It
mat'er?"
1T doesn't matter"-she launched
flower into a vase-"a bit. I only
think it's funny, that's all"
We'll, it's Just her way"
Mabel gave little sniff He thought
it was over. But it wasn't over. If
you ask me. call it funny letter.
You say your Christian name, but It
isn't your Christian name-4Marko
And then saying, How are YOU? like
that
Like what? She just said it, didn't
she?"
Yes, know And then Mona.
Don't YOU call that funny?'
We'll, | always used to call her
Mona She'd have thought it funny
as you call it, to put anything else .
/ tell you it's just her way
We'll, | think it's a. very funny way
and | think anybody else would think /
SO. I don't like her. | never did like
her"
He thought, My God, this bicker-
ing! Why don't | get out of the
ROOM
Come back for a day off with mo- .
It's funny thing you came back
just in time to get that letter Before
it was delivered! There! Now you .
knowl!'
He was purely amazed. He thought
and his amazement was such that .
characteristically, his anger left him: .
he thought, We'll, of all the"
But she otherwise interpreted his
establishment. She thought she had
made an advantage and she pressed
il. Perhaps you knew it was com
ing?'
How on earth could have known
1t was coming?'
She seemed to pause, to be consid-
ering. She might have told you. You
might have seen her"
He said, AS it happens, did see
her. Not three hours before | came
back"
She seemed disappointed. She said,
81 know you did. We met LORD
Tybar."
And he thought, Good lord She
was trying to catch me-
She went on, You never told ne
you'd met them. Wasn't that funny?"
IF you'd just think a little you'd
see there was nothing funny about It.
You found the letter so amazingly
funny that, to tell you the truth. I'd
had about enough of the Tybars. AMI
I've had about enough of them"
Il daresay you have-with me. Per.
haps you'll tell me this-would you
have told me about the letter if |