The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1926-05-27
The Spelling of
Henry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~-~~~~~~~~~
By JANE OSBORN


Wv people remain friendly after
they have separated" Marjorie. ar
gued, sitting there on secluded
bench in the park with Henry by her
side. And / know plenty of girls
who remain great friends with men
they've been engaged to- l thought,
when / promised to marry you, that
we'd find each other congenial. Now
| find we aren't-that is, not congeniaf
enough to be married"
Marjorie" said Henry, II can't sit
here and let you talk like that It's
torture, Marjorie. If you mean what
you say, finally, why them good-by,
Marjorie"
"Good-by,' said Marjorie. But,
Henry" she added, you know your
aunts asked me to spend a weekend
with them, and accepted. think
shall go. accepted because they
were the aunts of very good friend
of mine-and I still want to be your
friend, Henry, so shall go"
IF you're going" said Henry, some
what amazed, then l shall find ex-
cuse to be away from home"
So Marjorie went to the large old
fashioned mansion on the edge of the
city where Henry made his home with
his well-to-do aunts-a spinster and
a childless widow-boths of whom
adored and always had adored their
precious Henry.
Marjorie had meant to tell them at
once of her broken engagement with
Henry. But she found no immediate
opportunity for such an announce
ment.
After tea drinking Aunt Gloria
found opportunity to get down an
album containing snapshots she had
taken of precious Henry from the
time he had come, a four-year-oId or
phan, to live with her. Here is
picture of Henry on his hobby horse,
and here he is before we had his hair
cut short And here he is in his first
sailor suit and here he is with his
dog. I'll never forget how happy
Henry was that Christmas when we
gave him dog"
Aunt Julianna took up the thread
of the story, She told dotingIy of the
incidents of that Christmas Then she
told little anecdotes of his first days
in school, She told Marjorie how the
maids quarreled with each other for
permission to put him to bed when
the aunts were preoccupied.
Later they went up to Miss Gloria's
room. She produced a little silver
cabinet from which she took care
fully folded packet of tissue paper
containing three or four short clus-
tering curls of light brown.
"These were Henry's," she said, and
then looking with moist eyes at her
guest added, 81 have been thinking,
dear, that perhaps l ought to let you
have one-I would never think of Civ
ing one to anyone else"
Marjorie flushed and stammered
something that was Intended to indi-
cate that she had no place to keep
such a treasure. In reality her feel
ing was one of disgust, almost of con-
tempt These women had no right
to drag forth their sentimental feel
ings toward Henry in this way 1t
was enough to disgust any giri-and
Marjorie felt In a measure relieved
that it didn't really matter what the
reaction might be upon herself, be-
cause she wasn't going to marry Hen
ry anyway.
Marjorie stayed her visit out, but
she welcomed Monday morning with
much the feeling of convict looking
forward to the day Of his release.
Monday night Henry would go home
and there in that luxurious old house
he would be the paragon nephew, the
priceless Henry.
Marjorie wrote to Henry as soon as
she reached her home She felt as If
she must tell him of what had taken
place must warn him somehow
against ever letting the girl he would
really marry whenever she came into
his life-make visit such as hers
had been, and she asked him to meet
her in certain sequestered place in
the park.
She started telling him first of the
and then Of the tiresome way his
aunts had sung his praises.
Henry looked truly embarrassed.
Don't you suppose ne said, that
there have been times that there are
always times when I feel Disguised
with the situation? Yet my aunts are
my best friends love them and adj
mire them and owe them debt that
cap never fully repay They have
spoiled me, Marjorie, spoiled me be-
yond hope of setting quite right again
but don't imagine that / have quite
enjoyed the spelling process. Lots of
times have wanted to go off-to live
alone. But they wouldn't even SEND
me to boarding school, and l had to
go to city college so / could sleep at
home. If they had been real parents
it might have been different
wouldn't have owed them so much.