Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-01-24
A Man From the
North
By DUFoRD JENNIE

lean read the letter and tossed 1t
- carelessly to her roommate.
"Ann, here's a chance for one Of
your internal practical jokes" she
suggested, her cold eyes hiding in
their darkness a faint twinkle. "That's
from Allan Kerr. | met him last sum-
mer Up North. He was handsome
enough but a bit rusty In appearance
said he was camping on the lake
and he looked 1t; and besides, he was
poor. The man who interests me Is
the boy who can pay the walters
check without looking as If he won
dered how much It left him."
Ann smiled as she picked up the
letter. "Your bright idea, icy one, is
for me to carry on your correspond
ence with him; is that it?"
"He writes dandy letter, and you
can string him along; and when I go
up there next year, can have him
to play around with"
"Jean, you are heartlessW
"Mebbe, little one. but this is
heartless age"
Ann fused over the letter. It was
chatty and interesting, and suddenly,
as she was in the habit Of making de
cislons, she decided to answer t.
Jean informed her, Immediately, that
Allan had not seen her handwriting,
the hoax would work.
Ann wrote the reply, employing
some Of Jeans very characteristic
phrases, amused and pleased herself
at the way her letter shaped itself.
A week later Allan's reply came,
and Ann learned something of his
life. It seemed he was working In
lumber camp, and the letter told of
his life there.
The letters began to interest her
keenly, although she took care to keep
the discovery from Jean. Jean found
the letters only mildly interesting and
soon stopped reading them.
Slowly a personal note crept into
the letters. Before she realized 1t, the
same mood was upon her.
Here's a pretty how-de-doW Ann
told herself one evening. writing
Jeans letters to chap who evidently
is thinking Of her tenderly, while Pm
beginning to think Of him in the same
wayl I'll drop himl"
But she found it much easier to
say it than to do it.
Jean left for a two weeks trip for
her firm, and with her bright, some
what cynical presence, absent from the
room, Ann found 1t easier to dream
and muse over the man to whom she
was writing.
Jean had been gone only few days
when Ann went to the door to learn
from the maid that "a man from the
North" would like to see Jean.
Ann was stunned. But she isn't
here, Katep
Kate grinned. "He said If Jean
wasn't here. he liked to see any friend
Of hers"
Ann thought. "Send him up, Kate"
she said with decision, but her mind
was huttering.
Ann went to the window. A long,
powerful looking roadster was at the
curb ut can't be Allan" she told
herself.
The door opened into their living
room. and man, brown Of face, and
almost filling the doorway, faced her.
81 am sorry to learn that Jean is
away. but glad that you are here"
His gray. fine eyes were friendly.
"You see. I'm right from the woods,
hungry for a good time, and hope
you will run around with me little
some plays, dances, ETC."
Ann laughed inwardly as she thought
Of the joke on lean
They did play around-a gay gor-
geous week He seemed to have
plenty of money that he spent freely
but wisely, and he certainly was
good pal.
ooh. this is awfull" Ann moaned
one night, a. she tossed her evening
dress aside. I'm In love with him
and he's In love with Jeani And
when Jean gets here-Gosh, what
mix-up"
She saw no solution, out one came
the iext evening. They were at
corner table In one of the delightful
places he knew. He had been musing
a bit
Ann. vas lonely up North at the
camp. You see. my father owns the
business, and was ur there winning
back after had dose of pneumonia.
The letters that came, so CHEEKY,
amusing, pulled me out of dark hours
1 made up my mind that the girl who
wrote them should play with me and
be with me all the rest of my life.
Nov are you willing?"
Ann ceased to breathe. "But-my
dear-I-how did you Know wrote
the letters? l--realIy- -
A strong, steadying hand lay upon
her trembling one. Through a friend
| learned that Jean had gont on
business trip. but the letters came
from your address JUST the same; and
besides the last Of tn" etfers sounded
to me- well-as I know you now"
he said gently.
"But JEAN she began.
"rhe point Of II is do you care
bit for mel" he said quietly.
The somewhat dizzy world around
her cleared she vas hooking into the
strong but tender face Of the man
she loved. She lei her hand turn and
clasp bis.
"Allan. do--since your first letter."
Nat Go Chean