The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1926-05-06
In the Twinkling
Of an Eye
(CopyriSht.,
By MARTHA M. WILLIAMS

M ARIHA'S world changed IN INC
AvA twfnkling Of an eye. She fell
asleep poor and .ioyful-she walked
to wealth and woe. For the wealth
meant loss Of so much-the home she
SO loved, the people In 1t she had
called always father and mother, who
had given her in return love and
cherishing. the name she had been so
proud of-Martha Alison Lewis;
worst of all. her sweetheart, Thomas
MtOn-who was by wy Of becoming
also Thomas, the RhElner.
Truly a sorry miracie--yet no whit
mysterious. She was born waif, res
cued somehow from a burning boat.
The kind foster parents had taken
her to their home and hearts, holding
her heaven-sent to comfort them for
the baby they had just lost. Grief for
1t had already put theal in the mind
to mOve-sO they had gone. taking the.
baby to q distant new home.
IL only she hadn't been such a
witch at tennis, she might never have
known, Mother Lewis la1nented. Then
her picture wouldn't have been print
ed. When she won the cup her blood
grandmother had seen it and had
been so struck by the likeness to her
dead daughter, she had set about in
vestigatihg-with a result Of discover
ing her grandchild. Her husband had
been haunted all along by a ghost
hope of the baby's survival. When
he died q. year before, he had willed
his estate and the great fortune that
belonged with it, to the great-nephew
legally adopted-but on condition Of
searching diligently for the mythical
grandchild- if found within five
years, marrying her. Thus there would
be more PendletOn blood in the In
heritor of the fortune. The heir got
it through his mother-but that had
been remedied easily-he had taken
the name along with the rest.
He insisted that Martha's foster
parents must go along with the daugh-
ter they were giving up, to Penfold,
there to receive the thanks so richly
deserved. Madame Pendleton was so.
shaken with her great new happiness,
she was unequal to such journey:
They looked at Martha,she sprang
up. flushing and going white, and said
huskily: "Go if you like 1 shan't
bulge. unless Thomas goes with us"
then facing Henry Esmond Pendle-
ton, she went on steadily: He is
the man l am going to marry. Under
stand that! Now-do you think it
worth while to carry this any
further?''
Every well worth while-for the
sake of Madame Pendieton. If nothing
else" he returned grayely.
Martha hid her face, stranglipg a
sob. And just then in walked her
Thomas to soothe and comfort her,
and fall in a daze when he had heard
the w0nder-news.
He went along decidedly to the
amazement Of Mrs. Lewis. She liked
him just for company, but had never
been reconciled to Martha's choice of
him. She did not kn0w-indeed that
was dead secret-that Esmond-
Pendleton had said to him: "You can
have her-if you keep her loving you
best l wouldn't marry an unwilling
brfde-nOt for twice, not for ten times
all the Pendleton money. Let's make it
a fair field with odds IN your favor
and no grudges after, no matter who
wins"
Madame Pendleton faced Martha
white and tremulous, but after long,
long look, folded her. tight in her
arms. She could not speak for min
utes-then in whisper came: My
child lives again." And indeed there
was startling likeness befwixt Martha
and the portrait of her mother in
bridal white, that had light above
It, fresh flowers below it. every hour
OF every day. Martha choked at sight
Of them-Madame patted her cheek,
saying softly: 'Lilias always brings
my dead darling the finestt freshest
flowers"
That of course brought Lilias into
the picture she was slim, 1.-THE, dark
eyed, of clear brown pale skin,
swept now and then by poppy flush,
Madame's foster-child, two years older
than Martha. They took to each other
SO wonderfully, Thomas Elton all but
whistled over it.
Martha was finding out with a
vengeance that she loved beautiful
things Her mothers laces, Jewels.
family diamonds, grandma's store OF
shawls, furs and brocades were ex-
cellent teachers. They kept her SO
occupied she was conscience-stricken
at thought of Thomas,
the Rhymer She wondered a bit that
he stayed on and on-that is to say
when she thought of him seriously:
Lilias was angelic-Martha won
dered how she would have got on
without her. So nice that she could
stay on with Granny, when Martha
had gone back home--as she insisted
she must do. Nobody gainsaid her:
81 want you to be happy said
Madame. Observation-Disclosures smiled
inscrutabiy. And then, strolling in
the roosevelt garden under May
moon. Martha came upon her Thomas