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WITH WIT BUT A FENCE TO SEVER f I stood looking at Marjie and Marjie stood looking at me The r. r soft summer breeze blew her bonny brown hair in tiny curls around hi her forehead and cheeks and the summer sunshine lighted up her hery it y s laughing brown eyes A white envelope lay on the grass between us usand usand and I held a sheet of paper in my iny hand Presently the dimples began r to play in Marjie's cheeks and then then then- What are you you going to do about it Archie May she asked P her eyes fairly dancing with fun t tI i. i I looked at the letter and then at Marjie And you answered yes I asked Marjie nodded and pranced up and down with delight Then I shall go to Rob Stewart and tell him that you have changed your mind Oh but I haven't and you wouldn't tell an untruth you know Then I shall tell him that you positively cannot go to the ball with him And upon what authority will you presume to do that sir asked Marjie her eyebrows raised until they nearly touched her bangs 1 4 On the authority that that that-that that I love you Marjie II I pleaded Oh yes you told me about that before Two weeks ago today wasn't it J. J II And up to two weeks ago today tt I replied II you you treated me melike like a civilized individual but since you have treated me like like like-like- like II I hesitated Like a dog II Marj Marjie ie suggested No if you treated me half so well as you do that little tailless mongrel cur of yours I should be quite contented II She studied my f face ce seriously for a moment then she tossed back her head and laughed Why didn't you ask me to go before now Archie You put it it off until it was so late that I was afraid you really wouldn't ask me at all II Dont tell an untruth Marjie II I said softly 1 She entirely ignored suggestion my II And then Rob Stewart is such a lovely dancer II she cried 7 II Which infers that I am not II I said You know that it isn't polite to contradict II Its too bad your politeness isn't chronic II I answered It seems to run on the order of intermittent springs But aside from your politeness there are fine stories going around about your cono con- con o cei II II There are Oh tell me about them Arhcie Please do II 1 f. f gf She came carne close to me and tugged at my coat You wont won't be so anxious bye-and-bye bye my fine lady II I said would think I to It Anyone were going pay you a compliment r Oh I am tired of compliments they are entirely too common But I do want to hear this II Very Well A certain young lady starts out one June morning morningto to take a walk It is a most beautiful day and she trips lightly along her broad-brimmed broad hat on her head headOn head head- II On On her arm II corrected Miss Marjie Very liVery well on her arm The birds bird's song and the sunshine filled her heart with rapture Presently she meets a gentleman gentleman- II Old Mr Thorn II inserted Marjie quietly II Well presently she meets old Mr Thorn Good morning Mr Thorn she calls out this a beautiful morning Mr Thorn answers Yes Miss Marj Marjie ie and you jou ou are looking beautiful too And what does that young lady do but clap her hands and cry in rapturous r ous tones Yes in indeed deed It II Oh Oh youve you've left left- something out out Archie Archie May II said Marjie quite unmoved You forgot to say that the young ladys lady's mind was full of th the birds and the sunshine when she cried Yes inde indeed d II How am I to know what was in the young ladys lady's mind Miss St. St Clair I am not a mind reader you know II No No indeed you are not she said with a shrug of her ers and an arch Ii little sm smile He II Marjie II I cried but she had already reached the door Suddenly she turned I I-I I I would rather have gone to the ball with you Archie May And the next second she was gone For three whole days I caught no glimpse of Marjie St. St Clair I called but she was not at home I watched her door eternally I even stood upstairs and gazed down into her kitchen window but I caught no sight of laughing eyes eyes' or curling hair Nor was I very much surprised Indeed I had been schooled by Her Royal H to take far worse torment than this But three whole days Surely Marjie's mood would end sometime On the morning of the fourth day bright and early I peeped out of my sun-flooded sun window into my neighbors neighbor's back Old Martha who had lived with them ever since Mrs St. St Clair died years and years before was hanging clothes upon the line Presently out came Miss Marjie herself herself herself her her- self in her calico bibbed-calico apron her sleeves tucked up until the dimples dimples dimples dim dim- ples showed in her elbows She shook out two or three bits of cambric cambric cambric cam cam- bric and lace that I I had learned to call handkerchiefs pinned them upon the line and then before I could move ran quickly back into the house I looked down into our own yard Mrs ONeil O'Neil was hanging hanging hanging hang hang- ing our clothes upon the line Quick as a flash a thought occurred to tome tome tome me and snatching a piece of paper I wrote Our clothes are hanging on the theline line V With but a fence to sever j Why not Marjie dear be mine And wash our clothes together Then I slipped down into Marjie's yard and pinned the note on Y one of the tiny handkerchiefs I strolled around the streets for some ha half f hour or so and on returning found Mrs ONeal seated upon the floor her fe feet t straight out before her a scrap of paper in her hand II Sure now she was saying to herself II tha t s a thing to pinned to a shirt The clothes that hang hangI hang hang- II III I peeped over her shoulder and recognized Marjie's hand II Good gracious Mrs ONeal I cried snatching the paper from her hand II where did you get that note II Sure Mr Archie she said with a grieved air II I I found it pinned to the sl sleeve eve of your shirt j. j i o r boar f fand I h hurried out into the yard leaned against and read aloud f The clothes that hang on the line I fear r Have nothing to do with the case case case- When I get married twill be my dear For a rest from the washing of lace For a rest from irom the washing of lace sang a well known voice above me I 1 looked up There sat Marjie perched like a bird on top top of the of-the the fence 1 You didn't know that I cribbed from the Mikado did you Archie May she saidI saidI saidI said I know that you cribbed from something seeing that it rhymed I answered I appreciate that coming as it does from one who has a dent in his head where the phrenologist marks p poetry etry writing ability she re re- Just see what a bump I have where you knocked your head against the sideboard last night Archie youve you've been spying Well Ill I'll confess that I tried to but it was a dismal failure What have you been doing with yourself these last three days A cloud passed over Marjie's sunny face and trouble gathered in her sweet brown eyes nor was it the first time I had noticed it either I laid my hand on her little brown one Marjie I said what is isit isit isit it She swept the landscape with troubled eyes and then looked straight into my own It It It-it it is Reginald she said Reginald was Marjie's brother You know how sweet and girlish he was Archie Archie always always so girlish girl girl- ish maybe ish-maybe maybe that is why he is so weak Its It's all the fault of Howard Bangs Reginald worships him as slips of boys often do one who is older and stronger than they I believe that he would die for him and and Howard leads him on Fancy one who preten pretends s to care for me dragging my brother down A reason for his actions flashed through my mind but I sa saw by Marjie's face that she did not connect them with the love she could not give Presently she continued You know there are only two of us Reginald us-Reginald Reginald and I. I My father left the motherless boy in my care six year ago God knows and maybe he and our angel mother know how I have tried to make him good and generous But sometimes Archie when I sit alone at night and wait and wait for him to come sometimes come sometimes I think that my heart will break She looked over the tree-tops tree into the bright sky blue-sky her lashes wet with tears I slipped my arm around her Marjie II I began but began but the laughter that was always hid in her sweet girlish heart in spite of trouble began to creep into her eyes She looke at me archly and said It It would be just as hard to bear in a little new home of my myown myown myown own Archie May II At last the night tor the ball came the came the ball when Marjie was to appear with Bob Stewart I went early for I thought i if sh she needed me on Reginalds Reginald's account or any other account I would be near I waited half an hour but she did not come an hour an hour and a half half and and then she entered on Bobs Bob's arm white as death in her lavender lavender lavender laven laven- der gown with violets at her breast and in her hair Marjie changed with every dress she wore but surely there was something more than a dress that caused the white cheeks and the eyes that looked as if all girlish glee had left them forever I It t was half an hour before I could speak to her alone Marjie II I cried why did you come tonight You are ill IINo II No she answered excitedly I am all right I have something something something some some- thing to tell you Archie but not here Take me out into the air air air- Im I'm I threw her white cape around her and took her into the night Unconsciously we walked to the side of the Hall where the scarlet poppies grew Often as children had we played there together and as girl and boy we had stood many a night and watched the stars come out There were many stars tonight and the moon made the poppy- poppy spot almost as bright as day How bright the poppies are she cried I can think of nothing brighter unless it is a maidens maiden's love How strange you are tonight Marjie Yes I I-I- I I she seemed to forget that she had spoken Suddenly Suddenly Suddenly Sud Sud- denly she brushed the hair back from her head fore-head and turned upon me Archie II she said and she laid her trembling hand upon m my arm Archie I have played with you I have teased but I I-I I I did not know or I should never have done so When I played with your feelings it was with the intention of someday listening to you and answering Yes That is all over now and I tell you this that you may know you have not been tracked by a woman that your ideal of womanhood may be not debased III II I could not speak it all seemed so strange I could only look at ather her her and and she looked at me one the moonlight falling full upon her eyes yes Oh Marjie what a soul was yours y r. r f Presently I spoke What does all this mean It means that I went to Howard Bangs to day and begged him J to give me back my brother that I might make him once more what t he was a a. a year a ago o. o He laughed at me me-he me he said that I had laughed at l him once Oh 1 I have been so girlish and weak up to today I have made so many mistakes He said that it was not merely a matter of sentiment but that money played its part Reginald has borrowed a large sum from him Are you not content with winning him into your power through his affection for you I cried No that is not enough You must have more substantial means and I tossed a coin into the air He rose to his feet Miss St. St Clair you do me an injustice There may not be much to admire about me but it is not kind of you to exaggerate my faults to crimes I lent the money as a favor from a friend to a friend The sentiment part I suppose you already understand I love you you you-you you laughed at me But in spite of all I love you still Marjie paused He loves you still still still- t f Oh well we had a long talk an and l we came came am to the con conclusion 1 3 E that he will give ive me the back my brother use the power he holds over I him in leading him to a straight path that he will forget the petty money money- due him if I IMy IMy I- I My heart stood still R If you Marjie Marjie- II If I will be his wife And you answered answered- I did not give an answer I knew then as well wen as I know now what that answer would be but r could not give t. t I told him I would send it tomorrow II 4 r i 1 1 And the answer answer- 1 i f 1 r 1 r j j. jWill Will be Yes Vir Oh Oh Marjie you are wrong I cried N No 0 not wron wrong I I have promised you nothing Archie you will soon soon and and what is my happiness compared with that which is due my myc c i. i dead mother and father I owe to them that the boy entrusted to tomy tomy care should lead honorable life And my an besides I love him so much I I believe that I would do an anything thing for him And he must not know know know-he he would not allow it if he did You will find someone else to love love and and so it will come out all right in the end Archie I May Mil MilI aYe i i Nc Nci r J r 2 i a t i Z iSi r i She said Archie sweet and clear cIar but ut the the May choked h her She had always used my surname in In girlish raillery and perhaps it brought a sea of memories with it How strange that it is the little i things which hurt the most For a moment she stood with quivering lips and then then the the woman was gone and Marjie stood before me her own girlish self again I I I-I I I Oh help me Archie I and she held out her arms to me Help you Marjie I cried as I drew her to me I 1 will help you to see that you are wrong Do you think I will stand idly by and d watch someone take you from me now that you you you- F But she drew herself away her eyes looking sorrowfully into mine f Archie I thought you could help me It is hard enough as it itis is is-do is do not make it any harder She paused a moment and went then-went on quite steadily The woman woman woman wo wo- man had come back again I I thought of you dear all the long afternoon I thought what 0 if you do wrong because I take this step There is nothing on earth dear so grand as a good man and I wondered how you could always stay as spotless as you are now I leaned my head back wearily and andI I thought of a dream I once had I saw in a field a new blown flower The stalk was long and slender and the petals were as white as snow I folded them back and looked in All was white marvelously marvelously marvelously marvel- marvel white and I closed back the leaves still wondering at their whiteness There was so much mire around the sent Heaven-sent bud how long could it stay like drifted snow But the flower thought nothing of the dust around it it only thought of the great golden sun that rolled above In the morning it waited for it all day long it watched it and in the evening it bent its head towards the west to see it sink I went away for a long time When I returned I found the flower still spotless still worshipping the great yellow sun I Idrew Idrew Idrew drew back the soft petals and looked in All was white white marvelous marvelously marvelous marvelous- ly white but in its very heart I saw saw saw-a a spot of gold Golden yellow Golden yellow I said wonderingly I gently closed the leaves Golden yellow Golden yellow like the great sun that rolls above it She paused and as she stood amon among the poppies in her lavender dress and soft white cape the violets fluttering on her bosom and the moonlight falling upon her eyes and hair I ceased to wonder what angels look like And this was the same little Marjie that had laughed at my y boyish jealously I In anguish I turned my eyes away from her a and they fell upon the scarlet poppies What right had they to bloom bloomin in all their brightness Why did they not loose their color and grow white Presently a little brown hand was laid upon my arm and something soft was tucked into my hand It was the bit of cambric and lace to which I had pinned my note t 1 Keep it always dear said Marjie's sweet low voice I It t r isas is is' t. t s sas as whit white as the lily of my dream She came |