The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-02-09
BRENTWOOD
BY
Grace Livingston Hill
FIRST INSTALLMENT

MaJorie Wetherill had always
known she was an adopted child.
She had been told when she was
so young that it meant nothing
at all to her. And as the years
went by and she was surround
ed by love and luxury, she
though little of it.
Once when she was in high
school she had asked about her
own people casually, more out of
curiosity than because of any felt
need for them, and she had been
told that they were respectable
people who had been unfortunate
and couldn't afford to bring her
up as they would like to have
her to have her brought up. 1t
had all been very vague. But
Marjorie was happy, and her fos-
ter mother greatly stressed the
fact that while Marjorie had not
been born her own, she had been
chosen because they loved her at
first sight, and that meant more
even than if she had been born
theirs.
Mrs. Wetherill was a devoted
parent, and she and Marjorie
are dear companions. When Mr..
Weatherin died Marjorie was
still in her school life, and
she and the mother were brought
even closer together, so that
when Mrs. Wetherill was sudden
ly stricken with an illness that
they both knew would be swift
and fatal, the girl spent the last
months of her foster mothers
life in utmost devotion to her.
When it was over and she was
alone, she felt utterly desolate
and life seemed barren indeed.
There were many friends Of
course. for the Wetherills had
large pleasant social circle, and
there were instant invitations for
prolonged visits here and there,
but Marjorie had no heart to go.
She Ionged for someone Of her
own. The world seemed empty
and uninteretsing.
Then one morning about ten
days before Christmas, because
she could not settle to anything
else and because she had been
almost dreading to go over her
beloved foster mothers intimate
papers, she went bravely to Mrs.
Wetherhi1l's desk in the living
room, unlocked it, and began to
look over the papers in the pi-
geon-hole.
AS she went from drawer to
drawer, emptying every pigeon
hole, and burning in the fireplace
such things as had to be de-
stroyed, she came finally to the
little secret drawer, and there
she found among several other
important papers, a thick letter
for herself.
Dearest Marjorie:" it read.
Il have never told you much
about your own people, did not
really know much myself to tell,
until about two years ago. My
husband arranged everything
about the adoption.
Il never told you that you were
one of twins.
''You were very beautiful ba-
by, and so was your twin sister,
vet she had a frazier look than
YOU, and we found upon question
ing that she had little chance to
live unless she could have an op-
Grafton and special treatment,
which your parents were unable
to give her.
But though neither of you
were candidates for adoption,
yet had set my heart upon you.
After seeing you, all the other
babies look common to me. So,
my husband set about it to see
what he could do. He discovered
that your father was not strong
and needed to get away to the
country where he could have
light work and be out of DOORS
My husband finally put it up to
your mother while she was still
in the hospital, that she should
give her consent to our adopting
you, Mr.. Wetherill agreeing to
finance the treatment of both
your father and little sister.
"Once, when you were about
three months old, your mother
wrote me, begging that she might
come and see you,'bu I persuad-
ed her that it would be better for
us all if she did not.
'But then, about a year ago,
just as you were gaduating from
Miss Evans School, your mother
came to see me.
81 really felt very sorry for
her. She looked so much like you
that began to feel like crimi-