St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-09
A CHARM STRING.

| From Woman's Work.
Marjorie sat upon the door step. and
| Marjorie was in trouble. 1t was the
old. old story:
"Alasl how easy things go wrong;
| A word too much or a kiss too long,
And there cometh wind and u binding
rain,
| And life is never the same again."
Poor womanl hers is always the same
old trouble, hydra-headed though 1t may
be; the lover is gone or the lover doesn't
come; the lover this way and the lover
that way-always the lover. How happy
| she should be that there is no marrying
or giving in marriage, no lover In
heaven; but through some strange per-
versitY or contrariety of feminine nat
ure, she isn't.
1t was perfect May morning, yet
Marjorie needed not the soft summer
| air; her dearly loved and fondly tended
! flowers bl0ssOmed around her in sweet
profusion, yet in vain they strOve to
WOO her with their saucy mods and
tempting odors.
With one little rosy palm supporting
one little roster cheek, she sat the
| picture of utter detection, her dark blue
eyes suffused with tears, rivaling in
tender appeal the dew-dimmed violets
at Der feet.
Poor child! her grief was well-accus-
toned, for, early morning though it was,
she had spent look, as of one who has
put forth her best endeavors in strug-
gle, and has lost.
Yes, Marjorie the bright, the joyous.
the hopeful, was hopeless. She had
turned the matter over and over in her
little head, testing every eXpedient with
avail a
Leonard, her hero. her idol, her lover.
was gone: it matters not how, when, or
where, but only Marjorie wanted him
back, and there was no way to get him
back; that is enough to explain to every
thinking man or woman the nature of
Marjorie's grief and despair.
As thus she sat, ODlivlOuS to the song
of birds, the odOr of flowers, the Turing
summer air. she suddenly became alert;
there is one sound to which the waiting
woman is never deaf-the click of the
latch. That Marjorie was doomed to
disappointment for the hundredth, per-
haps the thousandth time, was attested
by the weary, half angry air with which
she lapSed into her former attitude of
nOn-intereSt.
1t was only one of those tiresome,
| Misunderstanding Russian peddlers,
with his little pack of gew-gaws. Mar
jorie grOaned inwardly in anticipation
of the trying interview that awaited
her; but, too inert to resist. she de-
termined to let the little man ''gang his
ain gait" without hindrance or encour-
agement on her part.
One by one he lifted out his little
store of earrings, pins, bracelets, etc.,
eXpatlating upon the beauties of each
and its peculiar adaptability to ''Mees's
be-u-t.fool eyes and hair" Willing to
be divertei even for moment from
herself, Majorie listened with faint
smile to his broken English and splut-
tering compliments. half fearing lest
when the time came for her final and
positive DENIAL to his eager entreaties,
he might draw from the vouminous
folds of his dingy blue skirts dagger.
and brandiSh it in her face, not to say
bury it in her heart. This latter thought
was not without Its conversations for
arjorie, for shecould not butthink how
still that troubled little member would
be when this vigorous" nihilist had
''plucked his cursed steel away"
AS she gaZed thus listlesSly into the
open pack beside her, her eye fell upon
a rusty little black volume repoSing be-
meath its load of tawdry trinkets. With
an almost involuntary movement, her
fingers buried themselves beneath the
heap of rubbish. and diSentangled the
book from its letters. In an instant q
sharp pain shot up her arm, and Mar
Jorie closed her eyes in anticipation of
the dagger, whose time, the Russians
gestures told her, was come. She opened
them again at word from the man:
mot dat, not dat; l prishe (prize)
dati''
AS he released the book from her
grasp.and released his hold of her wrist,
Marjorie saw dangling from her hand
what she at first took to be a string of
beads, but small cross peerlng out be-
tween her fingers soon discovered to her
the nature of those beads-a real rosary,
and in her own handsl She had never
touched one before. and. little Protestant
though she was, it possessed for her a
| subtle fascination; she gathered it up
with close scrutiny.
The Russian, again become the ped
dler. succeeded in drawing the fur over
the claws so unguardedly disclosed, and,
at the prospect of a sale, assumed an
air of cajOlery.
"Fifty-cents Mees; on'y so cents for
de be-u-te-fool sing.''
With gesture of disdain Marjorie
tossed it back into the box, but it chung
to her fingers, refusing to quit them
even after vigorous shake. Who does
not appreciate the impulse of reluctance
w III OllOoVll vi WIdG SOcl1S 10
| cling to one? Marjorie did for one, and
with queer sensation akin to tender
ness, not to say awe. she drew back the
ugly, though sacred, relic. and tossing
1t around her neck. paid the peddier his
price. Half ashamed of her purchase,
she hoped the man would begOne.
Not so he.
you Catoleek, Mees?" he said, eve
ing her with all unduly devilsh twinkle.
No, mol" cried Marjorie. sprnging
to her feet, with a sense of having com
mitted herself to something she was
not fully prepared to indorse.
Eyes, you Catoleek." persisted the
peddler, doggedly Juggling at COM
partment of the pack hitherto unob-
served. With final vigorous jerk the
stubborn lock gave way and he drew
forth from the exposed drawer an OBJ
ject thai caused Marjorie to hide her
eyes. 1t was crucifiX about eight
inches high and black. save for the sill
yer image wrlthing upon It,
With Shrek, Marjorie bounded UP
the steps, banging the door after her and
leaving the peddler to his own devices.
Once removed from the baleful in-
fluences of the daik foreigner, his BIZ
Zarre dress and insinuating air, Mar
jOrie viewed her purchase with aversion
bordering upon fear.
You must have discovered that this
little maiden had been reared upon
strictly Protestant, not to say Puritanl-
cal principles. and the dread of derision,
which must inevitably walt upon dis
covery, prompted her to thrust the ros-
airy into the deepest recesses of her
most unfrequented drawer.
The, to some so sacred, to others so
| unhallOwed, object, possessed for Mar
| jore fascination for which she was at
| pain to account. Again and again
throughout the day she would draw it
| guiltilY from its hiding place. and would
run it through her fingers as she had
seen her Catholic aunt's bonnie do when
forced by her Obdurate mistress to ac-
company her little charge to Protestant
| services.