d Letter of Destiny 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     said Eric gently, with a glance at his 
     
     mother’s picture. “ But I can’t rush out 
     
     and marry somebody off—hand, can I? 
     
     And I fear it wouldn’t exactly do to ad— 
     
     vertise for a wife, even in these days of 
     
     commercial enterprise. ’ ’ 
     
    

    
     “i Isn’t there anybody you’re fond of? ” 
     
     queried Mr. Marshall, with the patient air 
     
     of a man who overlooks the frivolous jests 
     
     of youth. 
     
    

    
     “ No. I never yet saw the woman who 
     
     could make my heart beat any faster.” 
     
    

    
     “ I don’t know what you young men are 
     
     made of nowadays,” growled his father. 
     
     “ I was in love half a dozen times before 
     
     I was your age.” 
     
    

    
     “ You might have been ‘in love.’ But 
     
     you never loved any woman until you met 
     
     my mother. I know that, father. And it 
     
     didn’t happen till you were pretty well 
     
     on in life either.” 
     
    

    
     “ You’re too hard to please. That’s 
     
    
   
   
    
     what’s the matter, that’s what’s the mat— 
     
     ter! ” 
     
    
   
   
    
     2’7