The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-02-09

matter. Perhaps you will want
to do something for your own
mother. You will have quite a
fortune, my dear and you are
free to do what you wish with it,
of course.
$50 I am giving your mothers
name and address. Do whatever
your heart dictates.
"Your loving Mother,
MAY D. WETHERILL."
Below was an address in an
eastern city:
Mrs. John Gay, 1865 Aster
Street.
And below that, in pencil, had
been written uncertainty at If
with an idea of erasing it:
"The name by which they call
ed you was Dorothy"
She bowed her head on the let
ter and wept. First for the only
mother she had known, and then
for the mother she had not
known. How pitiful it all SEEM
ed! So many little babies in the
world without homes, and yet she
should have been loved so in
tensely by two mothers!
Then suddenly a thrill came to
her heart. But they were! How
wonderful that would be. And
her mother had wanted her,
enough to come a long distance
to see her!
That night she could not sleep
and lay staring about in the dark
ness of her room-the room
the room that Mrs. Wetherill
had made so beautiful for her
realizing how safe and sweet and
quiet it all was here, and how
many complications there might
be if she broke the long silence
between herself and her own
family. Yet the longing in her
heart increased, to see them, even
to find out the worst possible
about about them, just to have
them for her own. Not to be
alone in the great world.
There was sister, too, and
how wonderful it would be to
have a sister. Or-perhapS the
sister had not lived after all!
Suddenly Marjorie buried her
face in her pillow and wept
The morning mail brought two
invitations to spend Christmas
with friends.
Christmas was only ten days
off and it doomed large and
gloomy. The thought of Christ
mas without the only mother she
had ever known seemed intoler-
able.
But when she reasoned that
perhaps forgetting was best for
the present, and tried to decide
which invitation she should ac-
cept, she realized that she didn't
feel like going to either place.
She was in her unsettled state
of mind when evening came, and
Evan Brewer arrived TO call up
on her.
The Brewers were one of the
best old families, and among the
closest friends of the Wetherills.
Evan BroWner was three or four
years older than Marjoarie, and
though she had known his prac-
tically all her life, it had not
been until the last year that he
had paid her much attention.
You are looking tired and
white!" he said scrutinizing her
face sharply. you need a change,
and I've come to offer one Moth
er wants you to come over and
stay a couple Of weeks with her.
She thought you might like to
help her get ready for the family
gathering at Christmas time. It
will take your mind off your
loneliness.
Marjorie's heart sank. Here
was the question again! And a
family gathering! The hardest
kind of a thing to go through,
with the thought of her own I'M
known family in the back of her
mind.
''Oh, that is dear of your moth
er, Evan!" she said. Il do ap-
preciate it lot, and some other
time I'd love to come, but just
now I don't feel l could"
He settled down comfortably
| to combat her, just as if he had
, expected to have to do so.
you're very kind" said Mar
jorie with troubled gaze, but
more and more certain that she
wasn't going to accept. Then
suddenly she lifted frank eyes
to his:
"You see, Evan, there's some
thing I have to do first before !
can go anywhere and begin life
again"