Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1927-10-07
The Name in the
Mirror
By RUBY DOUGLAS


ANOp9iAbh1I
~ ORIS GRAHAM had returned to
- spend the summer at the quiet,
cliff-built summer resort where she
had been so carefree and happy five
years before.
'But isn't 1t stupid place to live
in for three months?" asked her chum
In the office.
at wouldn't suit you" admitted
Doris.
"And that dreadful trip every day."
lamented the other girl.
Doris was not to be discouraged
She wanted to get away from the
city, wanted to sleep In the country,
wake up in the country, have her Sun
days and Saturday afternoons in the
open.
And so she had established herself
in the plain, old country boarding
house that she had lived In when her
mother was with her and life looked
rosy and merry. Now, she was tired,
trifle discouraged at the lack Of va
riety in her life. There was vacancy
she could not quite analyze but she
ascribed 1t to the fact that she could
not get accustomed to living without
her dear mother.
On her first free Saturday after
noon, she wandered about the old VII
lage streets.
"Pll just go down to the post Office
to wait for the distribution of the late
mall" she said to herself, as she
neared the little group Of shops Of
which one was the post office.
This had been one Of the merrlest
Of meeting places for all the young
folks of the summer resort. There,
In Its homely prosaic enough atmos-
phere, many budding romance had
first colored into life.
It was as she was entering the post
office five years ago that she had first
seen Archie Olmstead. The thought
now quickened her breath, sent that
forlorn hurt straight to her heart.
What had become Of him? Why
had she never heard from him1
How many times she had asked her.
self that question only to find herself
Unanswered.
She found letter for her from the
girl in the Office who, secretly, would
have enjoyed being with Doris, but
who hesitated to invite herself
Doris, thrilled at receiving a let
ter from the hands Of the same post
master who had stood behind the
window thumbing the letters FIVE years
before, stood beside the scratched and
dishgured wall to read 1t.
AS some one pushed against her, she
moved. She bumped her head, ever
so slightly, against the corner of the
glass-faced wall cabinet that held un.
claimed letters.
For moment she stared at the en-.
velopes posted inside. Suddenly, she
started. There was her own name
Doris Graham.
| Hastily, she sought the postmaster
and told him that there was a letter
In the case that was addressed to her
Together, they got 1t and Doris fear
ing, somehow, to read 1t In the midst
Of so many eyes as were upon her
put It in her bag.
When she was alone she opened thu
envelope. 1t was a letter from Ar
chile. In 1t, he told her this was tn,
third one he had written and IL he re
ceived no answer this time he woult
decide that she had amused hersel
for summer by making him fall II
love with her.
If she wrote one letter over tina
weekend, to Archie, she wrote
dozen. None suited her. She coul
not seem to find words in which t
tell him all that HAD been in he
thoughts of him, since they had met
She wondered where he was. Coul
this address be the right one2
On Monday, at the office, she trIe
1t was stupid letter. She destroye
II.
1t was still light when she al
rived in the country these Jun
nights and she decided that sh
would be able to pen a short not
to Archie If she used the post offic
pen and ink on the old shelf des
where they had written each othe
so many tender notes in other day
With a piece of paper in her bal
she went to the village and wrot
to Archie. AS she stood looking a
the much-used blotter on the shell
her handbag open with its mirrore
;. back, a familiar scrawl was reflecte
In It.
She held the mirror over the blotte
name. Yes-it was his name in hi
handwriting. Her heart thumpe
madly. He must be herein this yer
town-now. The name had been wrl
ten that day.
Posting the letter she had writer
she hurried back to the boardln
house.
when the motherly old landIad
came forward, she saw that they ha
met on the walk leading through III
arch of naples. She had remembers
their early romance. She was gratifie
at Its renewal.
1t took the Whole evening to e,
plain the strange tricks Fate ha
played them during the years Of theI
separation. But the faith of eac
of them was mistaken and Dori
found herself later comparing tn
great happiness of her present sun
mer with the shallow, frivolous gaiet
Of that holiday five years ago
sand l knew all the time" Dorl
heard from her chum at the oilic,
that there must be some good re,
son for your craving for that stupi
summer resort-some other reaso
than the country air."