The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-05-19

success.
Il is doubtful II in all the times he
met Marcella, both in the Martin home
and at public occasions, the beautiful
ly gowned, jeweled. caparisoned little
lady Of longish face. bullying brow,
deeply intent eyes and clear brown
skin, ever more than passingly snagged
his attention. Oh, yes, his reaction,
If any, might have been: Martins
daughteri Said to be clever; but q
solemn young lady with that dark
brown look. Good enough fellow, Mar
tin, II he knew enough to keep out Of
politics. Pretty little wife with soap
suds for brains.
Narcella's reactions, secret as her
own sercretive-looking eyes, were not
IN line with the senator's. There re-
sided in the makeup Of this aggressive,
massive-jawed. rough-haired member
Of the liberal wing Of politics. quail
ties that were stirring within Marcella
keen, new and exciting thrills.
The most interesting man In all
Washington, the most interesting man
In America, the most interesting man
she had ever met, was the senator.
Secret as were these deep-seated emo
lions, and imperturbable as her brown
eyes continued to remain, that fact
grew with the months. Secretly, Mar
celia was in love with Senator Morris.
That 1t was unreQufted caused her
neither bitterness nor undue pain.
One just went on-alone-caring-hop-
ing for the glimpse Of him here and
there. picking up crumbs Of informa-
ton Of his comings and goings, and
outwardly reconciled to defeat.
After q while, even the Martins be.
came half reconciled to it. At TWEEN
ty-four, Marcella simply had not made
her dent. Her generation Of debu-
tantes had come and gone. Practical
ly all Of the girls who had made their
bows the winter that the Marcella Mar
tin coming-out ball was the browning
event of an eventful social season,
were married now-rightly.
At twenty-five, something latent in
Marcella rose and asserted itself.
Against the resistance Of her par
ents, which she wore down with high
handedness uncharacteristic Of her,
she enrolled in school Of social re-
search, and after two winters of inten-
sive work became allied with a set
Element house in New York known as
Mulberry Center.
Then began the happiest, most inter-
ested years of her life. When she was
twenty-eight, Marcella was first assist
ant head of this large institution and
an outstanding figure in her chosen
field
The Martins, in their way, were
proud of this success. Of course it
was miles and miles removed from
what had been their dreams for her,
but, well, it takes all kinds Of people
to make world. Poor Marcella. OF
course, one appreciated her brains and
her distinction. but just the same, the
heart Of the mother Of this daughter
seemed to beat to the rhythm: poor
Marcella.
It was when she was thirty-two, con-
siderably heavier, and with streaks Of
faint gray in her strong dark hair, that
Marcella Martin, appointed by her gov
eminent as first woman member Of an
international conference on housing
conditions to be held in Geneva, again
encountered Edgar Morris, now Gov
ernor Morris. He, too, gray now,
heavier now, found himself sitting be-
side her at a political luncheon at
Geneva where he was in attendance
at a conference.
Life, tides, affairs, had flowed swift
ly for him in the years which had in
tervened since his previous meeting
with her. 1t is doubtful If he recalled
her at all. He only knew that sudden
ly he was meeting a woman whose
talk, whose point of view, whose deep
ly quiet eyes and a certain unworldli-
ness, were giving him the first serious
pause he had ever In his life felt where
the other sex was concerned.
It occurred to him even, as he sat
there beside her in the first hour Of
that lunch in Geneva, that he seemed
to be developing symptoms Of man
on the verge Of falling in love.