The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-07-01
Fate Brought Them
Together
BY MARTHA M. WILLIAMS

by MAN T1A NJ. WILLIAMS
ontYoU must learn nah.
". jongg !" Miss Dorranee said
to Lurline, who shook an obstinate
head, answering: wind In it
your temper gives me all of that ]
can stand s
Miss Dorrance set her teeth.
This country girl so brutally truth
full had money, youth, beauty of
sorts, most of all, EMERSON as a
family friend EMERSON whom Miss
Dorrance revered as q demi-god of
literature, and coveted as hus-
band. Distinctly hard lines to have
to endure from the girl-yet with
out the money she was paying there
would be no going on. Miss Dor
rance had rather plunged in sur
roundings and Inequalities the
three years since she came from
Paris. 1t had not seemed hazard
GUS with the constant Trevor, who
owned sixty years and half as
many millions, at hand for taking
when she would. Then EMERSON
had dawned, tempting her to daily
desperately in the matter of Ire
yor. In revenge Fate had snuffed
Trevor out by help of his French
motor car.
Elverson had said tentatively to
Miss Dorrance: Can you be sorry
enough for girl-child to let me
fetch here and have you show her
about for year or so? No char
ity, Understandable a stiff fig
ure, as. her guardian, I'll be glad
to pay it. She's so alone, an or
phan-man-bred until two years
back when her father died Since
then she's tried out schools-and
been as miserable in them as a
wild colt in stall"
Thus Fate had brought them to-
gether, the woman, poised, hard as
steel-and as chill-world-wise, ex'
perienced, in the middle thirties,
and the slim girl of roseatc nine
teen with the look of untouched
ness in her bright wide-set eyes.
Her father had guarded and shield
ed her like d jewel. Facing sure
death he had appealed to Elver-
son. Marry her when she grows
up. Bill--she'll do you credit-need
no curb-if she doesn't know there
is one. But let her think it's your
notion-if she knew it was mine
she'd marry you, If she hated you
outright"
Elverson had promised-with
look, a hand-grip hand al
ready growing cold-to find him.
self rather bewildered when the
stress of feeling was past. He knew
Lurline only as a tiny child. miss
of ten.
= Her father had died on the voy-
age from India, so 1t was weeks
before he saw her transformed into
something still, piteously alone.
He was eager to watch each de,
velopment of her new phase with
Miss Dorrance, hence a reckless
caller. regardless of hours. you're
tryin' to catch us with our dispO.
sitions in curl-papers," Lurline grid
ed at him, shaking her curly locks
in his face sometimes-afld getting
her ears boxed for the imperfi-
nence. But he never discovered in
her anything rude or loud. She
was honest, but not brutally truth.
full as Miss Dorrance appraised
her. AS child of the house she ac-
quilted herself well, showing Miss
Dorrance exactly the proper defer
ence, but pretending nothing
more. They entertained in select
fashion. They went about to the
choicest private functions-Miss
Dorance had truly the grand en-
tree. Thus Lurline came in view
of gilded youth a-plenty, laughed
with snd at them, danced if she
chose, had no brushes.
This until the era Of Elyers