Show i t THE TANGLE 11 LEPTER LEITER I FROM ROU LESLIE PRESCOTT TO TilE THE LITTLE MARQUISE MARQUISE- CO TI COi l I I early found found I 1 could not buy any of the things I really reany wanted said Mr Sartoris to me in a II very sad voice I began to pity pity him very much uch Little 1 Marquise I I wanted my my father to love me and I could not buy that I wanted a pal of my own age but all the fellows at college were envious of my great wealth and they either be beame became be- be came ame snobby followers whom I 1 despised despised despised de de- de- de or openly told me they could not hot train in my crowd because they had a wholesome pride in doing things for themselves es I 1 was the loneliest Jonelle boy on earth and I some sometimes think now that I 1 Iam Iam am the most desolate of menI men I always fought shy of girls and the day I left college my father called me into his great library and asked me whoa wha I 1 intended Intend to do with my life Up until that moment I had hat never thought anything al out It it but standing before that e austee man I I stammered and nd shuffled about out and finally said 1 l had not decided I told my rather that I thought I would travel for tor a while if 11 he were willing and then perhaps perhaps per per- haps I 1 would buy a ranch out West Vest and live Uve the life ot of a country gentleman gen gen- The Idea of the ranch came to tome tome tome me at that moment I 1 laugh at it now But it seemed to please my my father He looked at me with something more more akin to pride than he had ever had before Then he asked you think it strange that I I have never said anything to you ou about your mothe mother I I I thought If there was anything you wanted me to JO know sir you would tell teu me about It in your own good time I answered Your mother my boy boyhe he went wenton on in a strangely choked voice de deserted deserted de you sou and ran away with a aman aman aman man who called me his best I de friend nd Oh Little Marquise e. e cant can't you understand how I pitied him I 1 felt a sob rising in my throat He I must have felt it too for he said sald Leslie I 1 won wonder er li ii you can understand un un- understand fully tully what that declaration declaration declara declara- tion of my fathers father's did to me I stood there as though turning ostone to o stone No one had ever given tie me the he slightest Intimation that my mother was not like the other boys' boys mothers whom I knew loving knew loving and sweet and adorable I 1 had always worshipped her memory To me her name had iad been so sacred that I 1 could not speak it to anyone Consequently no one had had the courage to tell feU me this terrible thing of which my myk father rainer had 1 at k en father rainer had 1 at k en just spoKen At last I found words I Where Is that man 1 I did not recognize my own voice vole for in that moment It had lost all aU its boyish intonation and had be become become become be- be come the harsh heavy decisive tone of a man man of action n Copyright 1925 NEA Service Inc TOMORROW TOMORROW TOMORROW-Leiter Letter from Leslie LelIe Frescott to 10 tile the Little e. e |