The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1923-05-10
Willing to Make 1t
Unanimous
~ MARTHA WILLIAMS


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 8
%, 1s33. BY Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)
Mariette caught her breath as, un-
folding the check that had just
dropped from the letter, she saw 1t
was for hundred dollars. She stared
at II d0ubtfully-the sum was so far
past belief. And she had expected
nothing beyond the warm thanks rem
dered by those strange motor folk for
the small help she had rendered. She
could not understand what had moved
iier to run out into the highway and
tell them of the bridge destroyed, the
mile Of road left impossible by the
recent flood and direct them to the
old turnpike high on the hillside. by
which they had vanished. Evidently
they had got her name from the post
box. The note ran:
Dear Miss GraysOn:
1--WE hope, my brother and l. that
you will accept the Enclosure, and buy
with 1t something you may care to have
and keep, in memory Of your immeasur-
able service to us. But for your kind
ness, We could not have reached the
best Of fathers before the end. Please
do not think We are Offering pay for
tive are only putting ourselves In
your place rs far az we may; to M
Z concrete token Of good deed could
not be unwelcome.
"wishing you all the beautiful things
you deserve. We ask you to believe rs,
always
Gratefully your friends.
"ALICE and LINDSAY WARE"
Again Marietta caught her breath.
SO they were not married, AZ she had
thought almost enviouslyvit must be
% 6ne to 90 with the one you loved
best all through summer world, with
no care beyond roads and weather.
No such luck for her-she would die ~
she had been born, poof. thwartsd,
harhpered by fate and the something
within that would not let her finch
from the weight laid upon her. A
weight irritatingly commonplace ftll-
Ing In chinks, stopping gaps In the
household that ran so slackly under
Aunt Ems sway. II only she had
free hand-but Aunt EN- was "tetchy"
regarding her prerogatives, also Of an
explosive temper regarding affronts to
her dignity. Marietta stayed with her,
an unpaid, unthanked servant, trying
to pay a debt she was never allowed
to forget-the money Aunt EN- had
spent to keep Varieties father COM
Portable in the hospital until he died Of
his broken back. That had taken two
years, so the charge was really some
thing considerable But save in her
mind, Mrs. Emma Grayson Twyning
ala not feel It. childless widow,
with q fine farm and money ahead,
she had no need even to be thrifty.
thrifty, however, she was-the neigh
bors said. among themselves, "as close
~ the bark on tree" Except to-
ward Luke Twyning, her husbands
gyandson-him she pampered lavishly,
not reckoning the cost.
Mariette got food, good food, clothes
that were mostly secondhand, and the
ugliest, stufflest Of the upstairs rooms,
cramful Of tagends Of furniture. She
had new shoes once year-Aunt Ems
old ones simply would not stay on her
small feet. But the shoes came out 81
the egg mOney-which Marietta earned
several times over. Christmases and
birthdays she got fve dollar bills. Luke
had tried once to thrust ten into
her hand-and had had it returned
to him along with a stinging slap.
Marietta. would not have given. 1t had
she dreamed what would come of it.
Luke. who had regarded her merely
With lordly patronage. developed a
keen interest In her upon finding she
withstOod him.
He was so persistent, latterly 50
urgent, she had felt there must some
how be breakaway Aunt Em would
stand by him whatever he might say
or dO-cOntinuous houting of him
Mariette knew might he dangerous.
escape. Nobody within walking range
would harbor her or give her paying
work; her scant savings would not
take her far and leave anything over
for food and shelter. Not valuable
remained to her. Even her silver
pap-spO0n and her mothers wedding
ring had gone into the nav Of hos
pltal expenses. Scanning the check,
nnseeingly she folded 1t and slipped
the letter inside her blouse, barely in
time. Az she gathered together the
miscellaneous heap Of mail resting at
her feet, Luke refined in yard away,
saying In lordly manner: Whats
there? Anybody left me million
this morning?"
~Were you expecting it," Mariette
asked. handing up to him a letter and
turning toward the house.
"Wait," he said imperatively, tear
ing open the letter: MAY have to an
swer this In hurry-and you'll have
70 copy it, write such q poor fist"