The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1933-11-03
my Dear
Annabel"
BY H. LOUIS RAYBoLD
Q. BY Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service

wNU service
UhTy DEAR Annabsl--"
AvA Foster Deming paused mo-
ment to consider the three lies he had
just penned. The girl wasn't his. she
was decidedly more annoying than
dear. and her name wasn't Annabsl.
1t was Susan. Then he resumed his
task determinedly.
my Dear Annabel:
II am sorry that you are sick OF
school but 1t would have bssn your
fathers wish, / know, that you re-
main there until you graduate. And
put out of your mind any such thought
~ running away. You are too old for
that sort OF thing.
'.As for this boy you frankly say
you're infatuated without II out. In
the first place, he 10 undoubtedly just
amusing himself and In the second.
you are too young for that sort Of
thing.
This 10 rather q brief letter, ~
am up to my neck In work. My treas
urs OF . stsnographer left me to b.
married and I'm having q hard time
trying to replace her.
$50 be good girl and study 30 ~
to be q credit to the memory Of your
father.
Sincerely yours,
FOSTER DNMIN0.s
Slipping the letter In the envelope,
he felt the pleasing sensation that
q man knows with q deferred duty
performed. BY the way. how old was
the child, really? It had been four
years ago that her father, given but
a few weeks to live, had confided his
daughter to his Junior partners inter
est
"Her mother will be her guardian,
but my wife is busy woman and
well, would like to think that Susan,
/ should say Annabel. would once In
awhile get the sort Of advice or friend
ly letter that father would give her."
Foster had known intuitively the
things his friend would have liked to
say. That his wife was 30 involved
In this civic duty and that social obli-
CATION that her daughter would get but
q very casual supervision.
II had been her mother who had en-
couraged the childs rebellion at her
christened name Of Susan too old
fashioned"
-Four years ago Annabel had beon-
well, say, thirteen or fourteen-naybs
fifteen. That would make her-oh,
somewhere between sixteen and twen-
ty. But he ought to have known, real
~, before he advised her az to being
too young for this and too old for that.
He might take run down some time
and see her, he supposed. Hard to
picture some one he hadn't seen since
she was an infant In bloomers and
tam-o-shanter.
Three days later the telephone rang
on Mr.. Foster Deming's desk. AZ he
picked up the receiver the agitated
voice Of woman struck his ears.
"Is this Mr.. Deming? It isf Well,
ply disappeared. She left a note say
ing she had eloped, but we can't think
with whom. I've tried to get her
mother, but they tell me she ID at 4
convention somewhere In st. Louis.
I'm so upset about 1t. In these days"
He simply had to break in on the
now of words. Don't worry. It's not
your fault, I'm sure. I'll see what
can do"
But after he had hung up he sat for
some minutes in irritation. II the
girls mother had been dead, he would
have resigned himself to the trust. Az
It was, he had no authority In the
matter. No right to interfere. other
than the right any man has to protect
any young and ignorant person.
IAN applicant. Mr.. Deming," an a.
sistant broke in on his thoughts.
"Send her in."
She was the best looking one 70 far.
Slender, Of excellent carriage, we'll
bred In manner and taste for clothes.
please sit down, Miss"
II heard you needed q stenograph-
er," she said quietly, ignoring the op-
portunity to give her name.
"Can you-er-spell7" he asked
"Try me-" she said.
"Have you had any experiencer'
'That Is my weak spot" admitted
his caller frankly. "But you might
try me out. II don't make good, the
remedy Is in your hands"
when can you begin?" he said.
"At once" and for the first time she
smiled. She took of her coat, her lit
tie felt hat. fluffed up her hair with
her fingers, took pencil out Of her
bag with business-like air.
'Where Is my desk, please? Ny
name-oh, that-Susan-used-to- An
mabel Wentworth
It was months later and Foster
Deming was penning an advertisement
for stenographer. "All my best ones
get married" he complained to the
young lady who was leaning over him
with her arms about his neck.
"Well-I did fll In, didn't TT asked
Annabel. II bet you would have kept
me In that old school till was thirty
II / hadn't run away the day was