The Holbrook news., 1922-04-21
Cepyrishthy Eleanor H. Porter
SYNOPSIS

SYNOPSIS
 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 to be novel. The uiary IS commenced at Andersonville.
 CHAPTER I.-Mary begins with Nurse Sarah's account of her (Mary's) birth, which seemingly interested her father, who Is famous astronomer. less than a new star which was discovered the same night Her name is a compromise. her mother wanted to call her Viola and Ter father insisting on Abigail Jane. The child quicklys 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 Andersonville as a bride and how the dainty eighteen-year old girl whom the sedate professor had chosen for wife.
 CHAPTER II.-Continuing her story, Nurse Sarah makes 1t plain why the household seemed a strange one to the drifted apart through misunderstanding. each too proud to In any way attempt 10 smooth over the situation.
 SI1aI 1ll-1ldTN IellS or lne Illlle spent .'out west" where the perfectly all right and genteel and respectable divorce was being arranged for, and her mothers (to her) unacountable behavior 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 AndersonvilIe for tlsat city to spend the first six months.
 Then theIe the man that pants pictures. He's tall and slim, and wears queer ties ind long hair. He's always standing back and looking at things with bis head on one side, and eX- claiming "Ohl" and "Ah," with long breath. He says Mothers coloring is wonderful. heard him. And didn't like it very well, either. Why, it sounded as if she put it on herself out of box on her bureau, same as some other ladies do. Still, he's not so bad, maybe; though I'm not sure but what his paints and pictures would be just as tiresome to live with as Fathers stars. when it came right down to wanting a husband to live with you and talk to you every day in the year. You know you have to think of such things when it comes to choosing a new father-I mean new husband. [ q keep forgetting that it's Mother and not me that's doing the chooSing)
 Well, to resume and go on. There's the violinist. I mustn't forget him. But, then, nobody could forget him. He's lovely: so handsome and distin- guished-looking with his perfectly beautiful dark eyes and white teeth. And he plays-well. I'm simply crazy over his playing. I only wish Carrie -Heywood could hear him. She thinks lher brother can play. He's travelling -violinist with a show, and he came home once to Anders0nville. And iheaEd him. But he's not the real thing at all. Not a bit. Why, he might be anybody, our grocer, or the butcher, up there playing that violin. His eyes are little and blue, and his hair is red and very short. I wish she could hear our violinist play!
 And there's another man that comes to the parties and teas oh. of course tfltTt dTc OlitIS. lOlS O. lltlil. listTTlSu men with wives, and unmarried men with and without sisters. But mean another man specially. His name Is Harlow. He's a little man with brown pointed beard and big soft brown eyes. Hes really awfully good looking, too. I don't know what he does do; but he's married. I know that. He never brings his wife, though but Mothers always asking for her, clear and distinct, and she always smiles, and her voice kind of tinkles like little silver bells. But just the same he never brings her.
 He never takes her anywhere. heard Aunt Hattie tell Mother so at the very first, when he came. She said they weren't bit happy together, and that there'd probably be a divorce before long, But Mother asked for her just the same the very next time. And she's done it ever since.
 I think I know now why she does. I found out, and I was simply thrilled. It was so excitingl You see, they
 
 were lovers once themselves-Mother and this Mir. Harlow. Then something happened and they quarreled. That was just before Father came.
 Of course Mother didn't tell me this, nor Aunt Hattie. It was two ladies. I heard them talking at a tea one day. I was right behind them, and couldn't get away, so just couldn't help hear ing what they said.
 They were looking across the room at Mother. Mir. Harlow was talking to her. He was leaning forward in his chair and talkiGg so earnestly to Mother; and he looked just as if he thought there wasn't another soul in the room but just tsey two. But Mother-MOther was just listening to be polite to company. Anybody could see that. And the very first chance she got she turned and began to talk to a lady who was standing near. And she never so much as looked toward Mir. Harlow again.
 The ladies in front of me laughed then, and one of them said, with lit tie nod of her head, "I guess Mladge Desmond Anderson can look out for