The Wyandotte herald., 1941-10-10
COrbin's Folly
By Fl. IRVING KING
Mcclure Syndicate-WNU Service

THE old place was called Corbln's
Folly Some envious person had
named il that when old Colonel Cor
bin built II toward the close of to
Mexican war and brought his BRIDE
there And the name stuck. JudF"
Corbin had been born in the o!d
house and now, at eighty odd, was
as straight as a ramrod, fresh OF
complexion, and with keen eyes.
Judge Corbin lived alone IN the
Big house with his servants. lie
had retired from the bench more
than twenty years before when his
wife died and had been alone since
ms quarrel with his only son. The
occasion Of the quarrel was the
usual thing son insisting upon
picking out his own wife instead of
marrying the girl his father had
selected for him. The son had died
IN South America years ago 10
shake off his loncsomeness the
Judge began, at the age of eighty
one. 10 write an elaborate treatise on
the Code Napoleon. Finding he
for one and as a result now en-
pIoyed a young man of twenty-one,
bearing the name of Lloyd Foster.
Rut the young man who Travelled
drder the name of Lloyd Foster
was, in reality, the judges grand
son, Alvin Corbin, whose father the
old man had cast out.
,,,Io olo
fairly well together Remarkably
ven, in fact, considering that the
.udGe was dictatorial and irascible
and Lloyd was only tWenty-one. In
such an isolated and little-visited
pace as Corbin's FOlly-frOm which
tie Judge allowed him TO be away
bat Seldom-it is next door TO a
miracle that Lloyd" saw enough
youthful specimens of the feminine
gender to fall in love with one, but
re did.
Her name was Mary CranstOn and
she was as pretty as a picture
much prettier than many pictures.
She was gOverneSS in a family llv-
ing few miles away from COrbin's
Folly; an orphan without money So
was Lloyd" Mary and Lloyd"
went into session as a committee
Of ways and means Their living
expenses were nil now. But if they
were married they would, of course,
have to set up housekeeping for
themselves and it would take their
combined salaries to support them
IN anything like the style and COM
fort in which they desired TO live.
They would have to go on working
after they were married.
Then Lloyd" had an idea.
What's the matter with my asking
TIE Judge for a raise" said he
THAT would help out some%
do" answered Mary; FahQ sure
you are worth thousand times what
he is paying you-the tightwad."
Mary, Mary, don't speak that
way about the judge. please. be-
Cause-because. Well, there is
something / was going to tell you
before we were married and / might
as well tell you now" And he did
the whole story: Who he was and
all about it, Il don't know why
took the position at COrbin'S Folly
IN the first place he concluded;
the homing pigeon instinct, l
guess. And now do you know. l
have really become fond of the old
judge in spite of his cranky ways.
But if he had any suspicious of who
] was he would show me the door
in short order l wonder what he
Will say when | tell him want to
get married"
When, the next day. Lloyd" told
the judge of his desire, praiSing
Mary TO the skies, of course. he was
prepared for an eXplOsion-but not
for the calm, meditative manner in
which the judge regarded him; final
iy breaking long silence by say
ing Too young. You ought not to
think of marriage for five years
yet. Bring the girl over here and
let me talk with her. - Lloyd"
brought Mary 10 the interview. and
when she had told all their plans,
the judge turned TO his desk. say
ing: TOO young. Too Impractical
No 1t won't do. Good day"
Lloyd" came back from seeing
the weeping and disappointed Mary
of angry and rebeliOus Judge
Corbln," he said. Il am going to
marry Mary Cranston whether you
like it or not l don't think it is a
matter m which you have any right
10 interfere!"
"Oh. y0u don't?" Snarled the
Judge We'll. you are fired
Lloyd fell into a troubled sleep
at last that night and the first gray
light of dawn was struggling through
his windows when he suddenly be-
came aware of someone standing
by his bedside and a voice saying:
alvin Get up" At the sound of
that name-his own and his fathers
he was wide awake at once and,
springing up. sat staring in won
der at the old judge who, half
dressed and looking haggard and
worn. was standing before him.
"Why-why do you call me Al
vim" he gasped.