White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1923-05-11
INSTALLMENT NO. s.

Mary--the rejuyenated. remade
Mary-stood before little hall mir
ror, adding touch of lip rouge here,
a bit of powder there.
You haven't said Il word about
how pretty the house it" she chided.
turning and smiling upon him.
II think it's great! Great" he
replied Enthusiastically
Then hurry upstairs, like good
boy. and get dressed The guests
will begin arriving any time now.
Hurry"
He obeyed. With Mary so ex-
uberant and lovely, with the house
fairy palace in flowers. with the
moment arrived when his own dear
little daughter was to be given over
safely into the hands of a young man
who was certain to be kind to her
always, John Emerson was again a
boy, himself. and he ran quickly to
his room and prepared for the we'd
ding.
AS he adjusted his formal clothes
and glanced here and there to see
that his old things were in place and
that nothing had been changed since
he had gone away, he had moments
Of sudden fear, devastating fear lest
the letter might find its way to
Mary's hands ahead of him.
Even as the dainty flower girls
made their way down the stairs into
the long living room he shuddered
with the thought. And as he him
self, with Ruth beside him, walked
slowly into the happy crowd to the
tune OF the wedding march, he
glanced now and again toward the
hallway His agitation was becom-
ing almost too much to bear grace
fully. The strain grew with the
passing Of minutes. He saw Mary
standing far at the other side of the
room, and he thought he saw her
raise her handkerchief to her eyes.
Over him there came feeling of
deep regret, of crushing self con-
domination He had been weak
terribly weak He had not kept
faith. How could he ever have
thought of SO impossible a thing as
that he would never return to her
She, yes, his Mary, was the only girl
in all the world he had ever really
cared for. He hurried to her side.
The ceremony was over, and at
last, through the shadows of the
front porch John saw the blue-gray
uniform of the special delivery mes
senger. He raced through the house
and heard the man calling out the
name of Mrs. Mary Emerson. Mary
did not hear. Instead, old Annie re-
ceived the letter.
Here. Annie, give It to me, quick
ly!" he gasped.
"Yassah" came back the reply,
had entered the room, had seen the
letter was addressed to her, and
laughingly snatched 1t from the ser.
wants hands and placed 1t In the
front Of her low cut gown like little
girl hiding stolen sweets. She did
this only as joke. She simply
meant to take it to her room and
when all the noise and fuss was over
read to herself love letter from her
boy.
Mary was flying up the stairway
to assist her daughter in changing to
her travelling toys. Her husband
made desperate effort to follow her.
But the hands OF we'll meaning
friends. bent upon saying nice things
TO him about his daughter and new
son.in.law. held him at bay. vainly
ne tried to break through the line,
but Mary was gone.
In her room. Mary remembered
the letter, and innocently tore open
the edge of the envelope, extracting
the pages carefully, slowly. Her
eyes shone brightly beneath long,
delicate lashes; she was beautiful,
ravishingly SO on this night as a
result of weeks labors with herself
in desperate effort to bring herself
back to those great days Of her young
womanhood when John had been con.
tent to sit idly by and gaze upon
her and tell her how much he loved
her. So that as she stood there now,
looking down at the as yet unread
papers, she was picture that was
good to look upon.
She began to read. Not until she
had read four lines did, her counten-
ance change. Then as II she had been