Show r 11 i I A POINT OF KNUCKLIN 1 DOWN r 4 BY ELLA HIGGINSON Author of The Takin in of Old Mis Lane and other stories Copyright ISD3 by S S McClure Limited Lim-ited Emarine went along the narow hall and passed through the open door There vas something in her carriage that suggested sug-gested stubbornness Her small body had a natural backward sway and the decision de-cision with which she set her heels upon the floor was almost ominous She wore a brown dress A gray shawl folded squarely was drawn prim around her shoulders There was a little frill of white cheap lace at her thin throat fas tened in front with a cherry ribbon Heavy LgoId earrings with long shining pendants reached almost to her shoul ders They quivered and glittered with every movement Emarine was pretty In spite of many freckles and the lightness with which she drew her hair from her face and oiled i Vn5 sleek = knot at the back of her head Her hair was black and her mother kept it brushed to the distressing thine of a Japanese belles tresses As Emarine passed through the door her mother followed her down the hall from the kitchen The house was old i ind two or three loose pieces in the flooring creaked as she stepped heavily ipon them Oh say Emarine I > ll You get an bring home a dollars worth Well 0 granylated sugar will you An a box o hall bluin Mercy child Your dress skirt sajs aWfully in the back Why dont you run tuck jn It > J V M UI a CH JV in 11 Emarine turned her head over her hnalder with a birdlike movement and bent backward trying to see the offend ing sag Cant you pin it up maw lesI guess Have you got a pin 11 In Fmarire Endpv F ever I see n n Iny born days What arc YOU adon wIth a red ribbon onan your Uncle Hcrndon not cold in his grave vot A 1ne rppcUckle youd make agom the jpiigth an the breadth o the town with that thing aflarin on you I have to watch you like a twoyearold baby Now you take it right oft o you an J uont vou let me ketch you aputtin it n agin till a respecful time after hes I 1n dead I never hear tell o such a thing1 I dont know what a red ribbons got to do with Uncle Herndon bein dead sat1 Emarine Oh you dont aigh Well I do You ac as if you didnt have no feelin Well goin without a red ribbon wont r > aKe me reel any worse will it maw No It wont Emarine what makes you ac so tantalizln anyhow But I frueSK itfll look a little better I gueso the i ihbors wont talk quite so much You can see for yourself how they talk about Mis Henspeter because she wore a rose to church before her hsbllnd had been dead a year All she had to say fer herself was that she liked flowrs nn didrt sense it ud be any disrespect to her husband to wear em They all showed her n a hurry what thpy thought about it Shes got narrer borders on all her hanka hers too aready Why dont you stay away from such people said Emarine Old gossips You know I dont care what the neighbors neigh-bors sayor think either Well I do You get an take that red ribbon off o you Oh Ill take it off if you want I shud She unfastened it deliberately and laid It on a little table She had ant an-t > air of being unconvinced and of complying merely for the sake of peace She gathered her shawl about her shoulders and crossed the porch Emarine Mrs Endey lowered her voice voiceWell Well Whos that acomin over the hill path I cant make out the dress It leeks some like Mis Grady dont it Fmarine turned her head Her eyelids quivered closer together in an effort to Concentrate her vision on the approach tug guest Well I never exclaimed her mother 5n a subdued hut irrascible tone There you goa lookin right square at her when I didnt want that she shud know ve saw her It does seem to me sometimes some-times Emarino that you aint got good sense spnsrd just as soon she knew we saw her said Emarine unmoved Its Miss 3r < lyf maw Oh land o goodness That old stick f tight Shell stay all day f she stays a r i minute An there Ive just got the wishin all out on the line an shell I tell the hull town we wear underclos made out o unbleached muslin Are you t sure ts her It dontlook much like her t ohawl i Yes Its her Well go on an stop an talk to eros er-os to give me a chance to red up some oJnnt forget the bail bluin Emarine Smarlne went down the path and met the visitor Just between the two lilac k trees whose buds were beginning to ff swell svellGood mornin Miss Fresh Why good mornin Emarine Z your maw to home Yes m S I thought Id run down an set a I pell with er an pass the new Emarine smiled faintly and was silent Aint you coin up town prr > tty early fer wash ay Yes m fee you had a beau out to church last night marines face flushed even her ears grew V Wnt guess hes a real nice fella Emarine Mis Grady was a anyway how youd done c = vnf she thought as e tti well to git Mm He owns the house an lot they live in an he s got 00 ifl the bank I rerkor hell have to live with the cl lady though when he gits married mar-ried They do say shes turrablo hard 10 suit t0Jmarine lifted her chin The gold pen darts glittered like diamonds It dont make any difference to me whuthpr shes hard to suit or easy now Just knock at the front door Miss pres l I l 11 Oh I can go right around to the back I U save your maw the trou swell an f just S coniin to the door If shes got ble o ii her washin out I can stoop nght under I tl dos line Well we Uke to have our compny I said Emarine om to < the front door I dIi was a beautiful In early spring Theo The-o id TUders and maples along the hill were ned in a reddish mist The saps nraped delicate veins mounting through wee r mist would quicken to a i Presently the tldoJ the young leaves unfolded u pale aTyet green everything as seemed to be walt but as yet yadit L The brown earth had a fresh woody 1ngU that caured the heart to thrill with smell i f i sense of ecstacyof some delight a vague Bidden and Inexplicable Pale lav hidden deap stood shyly In H i beauties I spring f ndcr gf Po along I ps or alone in sheltered places t RO UPS nith There wa even here wriri I there q path a trJIIi5nor white lily as the children called it sbivenng on Its slender I den c hoi f stem There were old stumps too lowed out by long spent flames into rustic rus-tic urns nov heaped to their ragged with velvet moss On a fence near t rims meadowlark was pouring out its few nble1f and beautiful notes of passion but to listen t desire Emarine paused I J and Her heart vibrated with exquisite paintS pain-tS the ravishment of regret in those I tones liqUid Sounds if he was sayinSweet = 1 ohsyveetrny heart Is broken she said oh and then with a kind of shame of the sentiment in such a fancy she went on risWr s over the hill Her heels clicked sharply > on the hard road r Before she reached the long wooden r stairs that led from the high Plateau 1 down to the one street of Oregon City Emarin must pass through a beautiful I rove of fir and cedar trees Already the J Srs grove were taking on their little plushy r tafts of pale green and exuding a spicy 0 fragrance Occasionally a last years w cone drew Itself loose and sunk noiseless L lv Into a bed of its own brown needles A little way from the path a woodpecker into the I clung to a tree hammering tough bark with its long beak As Em arine approached it flew heavily away II f jfte under sides of Its wings flashing a scarlet streak along the air I As Emarines eyes ceased following Its Sign she became aware that someone J was tanding In the path waiting no A deep selfconcious blush spread over her face and throat She stepped slowly toward him with b sudden stiff awkwardness awkward-ness OhYou Is It Mr Parmer she said with a beautiful attempt but an attempt o onlyat indifference Yes its me id the young fellow k with an embarrassed laugh With a clumsy shuffle he took step with her Both faces were flaming Emarine could not lift her eyesgrown suddenly heavy 7 from their contemolation of the dead leaves In her path Her pulse seemed mM at little hammers beating away mercilessly A mer-cilessly Her fingers fumbled nervously a v With the fringes on her shawls shawl-s vfjDont choo ant I shud pack your ° P c t 1 I umbrella fer yuh asked the young man solemnly Why yes if you want It was a faded affair she held toward him done up rather baggily but he received re-ceived as reverently as if it had been a p3 silk one with a gold handleD handle-D your maw know I kep yuh comp com-p ny home from church last night Unhhunh What Id she say She didnt say much Emarine was recovering her selfpossession I went right in an up an told her Well what id she she say She didnt say much Well what Emarine why dont choo tell me Youre the contrariest girl Am I She flashed a coquettish glance at him She was quite at ease by this time I shudnt think youd waste so much time on contrairy people Mr Par merOh Oh tell me what she said WellEmarine commenced to laugh she put the backs o her hands on her hips an looked at me a long time then she sa sHunh You leetle he fer You think youre some pumkins dont you They both laughed mirthfully Well what else id she say ul dont bleeve you want to know Do you youWell Well I shud say Well she said it cudnt happen aoren evry once fn so often Pshaw She did The young fellow stopped abruptly A narrow unfrequented path led through deeper woods to the right Emarine lets take this catecornered cut through here Oh Im afraid ts longeran ts washday wash-day you know said Emarine feebly Well walk right fast Come on George But its nice an sweet in here though The path was narrowed and the trees bent over and touched above them There was a kind of soft lavender twi I light about them It was very still save for the fluttering of unseen wings and the occasional shrill scream of a bluejay It is sweet In here said Emarine The young man turned suddenly and with a quick searching look Into her lifted eyes put his arms about her and I drew her to him Emarine he said with great tenderness And then he was silent and just stood holding her crushed against him and looking down on her with his soul in his eyes It is a wise man who refrains from much speech in such an hour After a long silence Emarine lifted her head and smiled trustfully into his eyes I Its washday she said with a flash of I humor So it is he answered her heartily I An I promised yuh wed walk fast Emarine Well Yuh must say it first Say what Mr Parmer Mr Parmer His tone and his look were reproachful Cant choo say Orville Or-ville Oh I canif you want I shud Well I do want choo shud Emarine I Now yuh know what I want choo to say bfore we go on I Why no IO hunhunh EmarInethe young fellows tone I took on a sudden seriousness want I choo to say yuhll marry me I uOh my no cried Emarine She turned her head on one side like a bird I and looked at him with lifted brows and I surprised eyes What Emarine Yuh wont O my no Each glance and movement move-ment were full of coquettishness The very fringes of the demure gray shawl seemed to have taken on new life and vivacity Orville Parmers face turned pale and stern He drew a long breath sIlently not once removing his searching look from her face Well then he said slowly I want to know what choo mean by up an lettin me kiss yuh This was an instant quietus to the girls coquetry She gave him a startled glance A splash of scarlet came into each cheek For a moment there was utter silence Then she made a soft feint to withdraw from his arms To her evident surprise he made no attempt to detain her This placed her in an awkward dilemma and she stood in an irresolute way with her eyes cast down Young Farmers arms fell down at his sides with a movement of despair Some times they were awkward arms but now absence of selfconciousness lent them a manly grace Well Emarine he said kindly Ill go back the way I come Goodby With a quick spontaneous passion against which she had been struggling and which was girlish and innocent enough to carry a mans soul with it into heaven Emarine cast herself upon his breast and flung her shawlentangled arms about his shoulders Her eyes were earnest and pleading and there were tears In them With a modesty that was enchanting she set her warm sweet lips t r st irh nSfi Wl tremblingly to his I of her own free will I didnt mean it she whispered 001 was only aafoolin The year was older by a month when one morning Mrs Endey went to the front door and stood with her body swaying backward and one rough hand roofing the rich light from her eyes Emarine ad ort to a got to the hill path by this time she said in a grum bling tone It beats me what keeps her so I recon shes astandin like a bump on a lawg watchin a red ant or a tumblebug tum-blebug Shed leave her dishwashln any timcan stand at the door with the suds adripping all over her apurn an the floor alistnin to one o them silly med derlarks a hollerin the same notes over an over Her paws womenfolks is all jest such fools She started guiltily and brought her eyes to the gate which had clicked sharply Oh she said That YOU Emarine She laughed rather foolishly I was looltin right over you lookin for you too Miss Preslys been here an all the strings she had atod tell Why fer pitys sake Is that a dollars worth o coffee cof-fee Yes It is an I guess ts full weight toe from the way t feels My arms about broke Well give t to me An come out n the kitching Ive got somethin to tell you Emarine followed slowly pinning a spray of lilac in her bosom as she went Wheres that springbalance Ema line Im goin to weigh this coffee If its one grain short Ill send it back Ill show em they cant cheat this old hen Sho passed the hook under the string and lifted the coffee carefully until the balance was level with her eyes Then standing well back on her heels and drawing funny little wrinkles up around her eyes and nose she studied the figures fig-ures earnestly Finally she lowered it with a disappointed air Well she I said reluctantly its just Itjust to a t Theyd ort to make it a little over though to low for the paper bag Get the coffee canister Emarine When the coffee had been filtered through a tin funnel into the canister Mrs Endey sat down stiffly She was polishing the funnel with a cloth From time to time she glanced at Emarine with a kind of deprecatory mystery At last she said Mis Presly spent the day down t Mis Parmers yesterday Did she said Emarine coldl but the color came into her cheeks tahall I go on with the puddin Why you can if you want Sho told mo some things I dont like Emarine shattered an eggshell on the side of a bowl and released the gold I heart within MissPresly says once Mis Parmer had to go an gether the eggs an put up tho chickens so Miss Presly didnt think I thered be any harm in just looltin into tile drawrs an things to see what she had Says shes ottul short on tablecloths table-cloths only got three to her name An Only six napkinsan them coarses any thin When Mis Parmer came in Miss Presly talked round a little then she s3sl spose youre one o them spick an span kind that alwus has a lot o extry tablecloths an things put away in lavender Emarine set the eggbeater into the bowl and commenced turning It slowly sudden Mis Farmer but she got says mighty right outNo red all of I m a agettin reel short on tablecloths an things Miss Presly but I aint goin to replenish Orville is thinkin o gettin married this year an I reckon Emarino 11 have a lot o extry things An then she up an laughed an says Ill let her stock up the house seelns shes so anx tous to get into it Emarine had turned pale The eggbeater egg-beater fairly flew round and round A little of the golden foam slipped over the edge of the bowl and ran down to the white table Miss Prcsly thinks a good deal o you Emarine so that pot her spunk up an she just told Mis Parmer she didnt believe be-lieve you was dyln to go there an stock up her drawrs fer her Says sheI dont think young people ort to live with mo thernlaws anyway Said she thought shed let Mis Parmer put that in her pipe n smoke it when she got time There was a pulse in either side of Emarines throat beating hard and full Little blue throbbing cords stood out in her temples She went on mixing the pudding mechanically Then Mis Farmer up an said with a tantallzin laugh that if you didnt like the commodations at her house you needn come there said she never did like you anyways ner anybody else that set their heels down the way you set yourn said shed had It all out with Orville an hed promised her faithful that if there was any knucklin down to do youd have to do It an not her Emarine turned and looked athe mother mo-ther Her face was white with controlled passion Her eyes burned But her voice was quiet when she spoke I guess youd best move your chair she said sos I can get to the oven This pudding is all ready to bake After she had put the pudding in the oven she moved about briskly clearing the things off the table and washing them She held her chin high There was no doubt now about the click of her heels it was ominous I wont marry him she said at last He can have his mother and his worn out table cloths Her voice shook The muscles around her mouth were twitching twitch-ing ingMy mercy said her mother She had a frightened look Who cares what his mother says Well I care what she says Ill see myself knucklin down to a motherin law Well now dont go an let loose o your temper or youll be sorry for t Youre always mighty ready a tellln me to not mind what folks say an to keep away from old gossips Well you told me yourself didnt you I cant keep away from my own mother very well can 1 Well now don flare up so Youe worsen karoscne with a match set to t Well what id you tell me for f you didnt want I shud flare up Why I thought it ud just put you on your metal an show her she coudnt come It over you The she added diplomatically diplo-matically changing her tone as well as the subject Oh Emarine I wish you d go up n the artlc an bring down a bunch o pennyrile Ill watch the puddin She laughed with dry humor when the girl was gone I got into a pickle that time Whod a thought shed get Stirred me so Ill have to manage to get her cooled down before Orville comes tonight They aint many matches like himif his mother is such an old scar crow Theres Mis Grlsley gone an got a new melodvun for LilyLily with a complexion like soleleather askn him up there al the time to sing a flatterin him to the skies about his voice Id like to know what they always name dark complexion babies Lily for Oh did you get the pennyrile Emarine I was just laughin to myself awond rin what Mis Grisleys Lily 11 say when she hears youre goin to be married to llIe Emarine hung a spotless dishtowel on two rails behind tho stove but did not speak Mrs Endey turned her back to the girl and smiled humorously That didnt work she thought Ill have to try something else Ive made up my mind to get you a secondday dress too Emarine You can havet any color you want dove colored be offful nice Theres a hat downt Mis Fox milliner store that ud I beautiful with dovecolor go i the Emarine took some flatirons off stove wiped them carefully with a soft I cloth and set them evenly on a shelf I Still she did not speak Mr Endey face took on an anxious loek Theres some beautiful artaficial orange I or-ange flowrs at Mis Foxs Emarine You can be married in em f you want almost mell sweet Theyre so reel they She waited a monment but receiving reply she added with a kind of d > s I no perationAn a veil Emarlnea long white one aflowin down all over you to I feetone that ud just mal e Mis your Grisleys Lilys mouth water What do > You have that too you say to that can f vou want Well I dont want said marine i I fierce Didnt I say I want goin to I irlrry him Ill give him his walkin irarry I dont I chalk when he comes tonight it neither I need any help about an I She went out closing the door as exclamationpoint I I Oregon City kept early hours The curfew I cur-few ringing at 9 oclock on summer evenings eve-nings gathered the tenderaged of both sexes off the one street It was barely 7 oclock when Orville Palmer came to take Emarine out for a drive He had a high topbuggy rather the worse for wear and drove a sorrel horse She was usually ready and came tripping trip-ping down the path to save his tying the I horse Tonight she did not come He waited a while Then he whistled and calledOh Emarine He pushed his hat back and leaned one elbow on his knee flicking his whip up and down and looking steadily at the door But she did not come Finally Fin-ally open he got out and tying his horse went up the path slowly Througn tne door he could see Emarine sitting quietly sewng He obsered at once that she was pale Sick Emarine he said going In No she answered I aint sick Then why on earth didnt choo como when 1 hollered I didnt want to Her tone was icy He stared at her a full minute Then he burst out laughing Oh say Emar ine yuh can be the contrairiest girl I ever see Yuh do love to tease a fella so Yuhll have to kiss mo fer that He went toward her She pushed her chair back and gave him a look that made him pause Hows your mother she asked My mother A cold chill went up and down his spine Why oh shes all rIght Why She took a small gold ring set with a circle of garnets from her finger and held it toward him with a steady hand You can take an show her this ring an tell her I aint so awful anxious to stock her up on tablecloths an napkeens s she thinks I am Tell her youll get some other girl to do her knucklindown fer her The young mans face grew scarlet and then paled off rapidly Why Emarine he Raid feebly He did not take the ring and she threw it on the floor at his feet A whole month she had slept with that ring against her lips the bond of her love and his Now It was only the symbol of her knuck lingdown to another woman You neednt to stand there apretend in you dont know what I mean Well I dont Yes you do too Didnt you promise your mother that if there was any knucklindown to be dill Id be the one to do it Why er Ermarine She laughed scornfully Dont go to tryin to get out of t You knew you did Well you can take your ring an your mother an all her or dudsI dont want any o you Emarine said the young man looking look-ing guilty and honest at the same time the talk I had with my mother didnt amount to a pinch o snuff It want anything to make you ac this way She dont like you just because Im going to marry you mOh but you aint said Emarine with an aggravating laugh Yes I am too She kep naggino t me day an night fer fear youd be sassy to her an shed have to take a backseat back-seat seatIll tel you whats the matter with her Interrupted Emarine shes got the big head She wants to make everybody every-body toe her mark She thinks everybody every-body wants to rush into her house an marry her son an use her old things Emarine Shes my mother I dont care f she Is I wudnt tech her with a 10foot pole Shell be all right after were married Emarine an she finds out howhow nice yuh are His own words appealed to his sense of the ridiculous He smiled Emarlne knew why he smiled and she grew furious Her face turned very white Her eyes burned out of it like two fires You think I aint actin very nice now dont you I dont care what you think Orville Parmer good or bad The young man stood thinking seriously Emarine he said at last very quietly quiet-ly I love yuh an yuh know t An yuh love me Ill always be good to you an see that choo aint emposed on Em anne An I think the world of you Thats all I got to say I cant see what ails yuh Emarine When I think o that day I asked yuh to marry mean that night I give yuh the rlngthe girls eyelids eye-lids quivered suddenly and fellUan that moonlight walk we took along by the Fallswhy It just seems as If this cant be the same girl There was such a long silence that Mrs Endey cramping her back with her ear pressed to the keyhole decided that he had won and smiled dryly At last Emarine lifted her head She looked at him ffteadlly 0 Did you or didnt you tell your mother Id have to do the knucklin down H shuffled his feet about a little Well I did Emarine but I didnt mean anything I just said it to get a little peace The poor fellow had floundered upon an unfortunate excuse Oh said the girl contemptuously Her lip curled An so you come an tell me the same thing for the same reason just to get a little peace A pretty time youd have agettln any peace ataJ between be-tween the two of us Youre chickenish an I hate chickenish people Emarine Oh I wish youd go There was an almost desecrate weariness in her voice He picked up the ring wi It its shining garnet stars and went Mrs Endey tiptoed Into the kitchen My backs about broke She laughed noiselessly I swan Im proud o that girl Shes got more o me in her than I give her credit for The idee o her call in him chickenish right out to his face That done me good Well I dont care such an offul ot f she dont marry him A girl with that much spunk deserves a governor An that mother o hisn 5 a case I guess her n med a fit like cats an dogs anyhow Her lips unclosed with reluctant mirth The next morning Emarlne arose and went about her work as usual She was pale She had not slept But there was no signs of relenting on her face After the first surreptitious look at her Mrs Endey knew that it was all settled unchangeably un-changeably Her mind climbed from a governor to United States senator There was nothing impossible to a girl who could break her own heart at night and go about the next morning setting her heels down the way Emarinewas setting hers Mrs Endeys heart swelled with triumph Emarine washed the dishes a ti swept the kitchen Then she went out to sweep the porch Suddenly she paused A storm of lyric passion had burst upon her ear and in It she heard the words uSweetohsweetmy heart Is broken Then she pulled herself together stubbornly stub-bornly Her face hardened She went on sweeping with more determined cart than usual Well I reckon she said with a kind of fierce philosophy it ud a been broken bro-ken a good sight worse f Id amarried him an that mother o hisn Thats some comfort But when she went In she closed the door carefully shutting out that impassioned impas-sioned voice |