Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-10-03
Meg Margaret-M Maggie.
BY EVELYN RAYMOND.

John Allen followed the old cottager
into the liNie parlor, and was there left
to enjoy the salt water favor of its
furnishings while his host went IN pur-
suit Of "mother." She was long in
finding, and the visitor had counted for
the third time the specimens of dried
fishes, moses, ard sea weeds which
adorned the chimney piece, before the
captain returned.
81 had ter leave ye purity consid able
of spell. Mother, she had Jest run in
ter James ter talk it over. 1t does alters
upset her so. Jest's if twas stran.
ger"
The sailor sat down, facing the appl-
cant for summer board, and regarded
him with unbinking eyes, meanwhile
rolling over aud over in his cavernous
mouth a monstrous piece of tobacco.
To end this unpleasant spectacle,
Allen said:
81 was told at the hotel that you were
DESTROYS of boarders, else l should not
have intrudcd"
San they told ye right. But this
mornin' come letter from Meg -Marga-
ret. They may alter things, an guess
mother didn't feel capable of decidin'
till she talked about it with Jane. James
our Oldest. She's married an got five.
She'll be in bime-by.n
To make the waiting less tedious, or
to crafty his own pride, the captain
took from the red covered table in the
centre of the room "Pilgrims Pro-
gress, y whose leaves were bulged with
loose papers not called for by the text.
The book, open at the first picture, was
laid across the guests knees in man
ner which indicated that all the IN
mounted amateur photographs with
which the work was crowded would have
to be examined.
Allen shivered; bnt, cjvility compel
ling, he began to look at the "Yiews,'
and had not gone far toward the end be-
fore he perceived that all were portraits
Ct one person. He looked up, inquir.
ingly.
The captain stood stopping and look
ing over the visitors shoulder with keen
est interest, and, whatever he might
have thought Of the work, John Allen
was not the man to disparage it to such
adoring delight as shown in that weather.
beaten old face.
"The're hern; all or EN-. Sophier
took EN-, out Meg Margaret gin her the
machine. Purity, hain't theym
Exclamation rather than interrogation
but the other replied, promptly
''Nery pretty. The face, mean"
''That's what mean, tn. An it does
beat all ter see how quick she done it
Them was all took last summer, an So
pliers pinned ready fer another lot siu
she comes down this year. She wrote
this mornin', an' that's what upset
mother. We wasn't expectin' of her till
August; but-mothers a-comin' now. l
seed her through the winder."
"Sophier must be industrious, a"
thought Allen. There was "Meg- Mar
garrett IN every conceivable position
which civilized woman could assume.
Margaret in bathiug-su and in evening
dress; Margaret III hammock, under a
tree, under an umbrella, feeding chick
ems, fishing, on horseback, reading sew
ing dancing, making bread, writing
shades of George Eliotl Could any
mortal female look like that when en-
gagged in "literature2" Certainly she
took it hard
But the en- pertaining host had taken
another treasure from the dresser, and
brought LITERALLY wrapped in fine
linen-for the guests inspection. The
napkin covering had a scent of lavender,
but the contents were, or seemed, I'M
worthy so much care The treasure
proved to be the most summary of sum-
mer novels a book which, as critic for
the Clarion, Allen had himself harshly
reviewed. He marvelcd to find it there
and thus.
"Ah! "A 'sconset Romance Have
you read itl"
"No, | haiu't read it, / hain't no
taste that way. But mother has-mother
has dozen times, | guess. It's hernl"
"Hers?" asked Allen, feebly, nothing
else occurring to him.
eyes. Meg Margaret's. Margaret
Sudbury's own book, writ by her own
hand The information of which the
captain had delivered himself was so
weighty he was obliged to sit down.
So mother came in and found them.
She had been prepared to say mo" to
any boarder's application, but the sight
OF one who could appreciate Margaret's
book changed her decision at once, and
she led the way to show the rooms with
an alacrity which seemed to discredit the
assertion that she was a person who re-
quired to ''talll things over" with any
body, even Jane" She was the swift
cst-motioned human Allen had ever seen.
Her presence in the parior had instantly
impaired vivacity even to that craven
image, her husband, for he got up, whis-
ting, and put the "'Scouset Romance
back into sacred, fragrant hiding.
Allen felt as if he had taken tonic
eyes; like the room, | like the
price, When can GOMEZ"
''Righ Off. Got much stuff3n
"Only valise and typewriter.
"She's got one O them. Carries it
everywhere she goes
Allen turned a groan into smile;
then he considered what it would be to
have two machines clicking in one small
cottage, and groaned again. Instantly
he resolved never to use his while he re-
NAMED at Sconset.
But mother had pricked up her
cars.
"Be you sickl Cause if you be
couldn't take We. Mlrgaret,s comm
home ter rest. She needs it. Anybody
needs it who has writ a book
The boarder silently agreed with her
Especially such a book, and in such
poses as the photographs showed.
When Allen awoke, the next morning,
he heard somebody singing. Then the
captains voice:
"That's a lively tune, Meg Margaret
An We look right peart. Glad ter get
home agin2"
"GIad3 Oh, popsey, Pm sick of liv-
ingl" Then she dashed again into mel
ody The old father was also musical
Once he had led the choir in meeting
He never heard new air without sam
plngit, and he at once attacked "Annie
Rooney" He hit it fairly well, too.
Meg Margaret laughed aloud.
''H'm! Like ter hear me, don't We, my
gall What tune is it,"
ats a classic"
"Oh!'
Allen laughed also, as he raise1 the
green shade and opened the uushuttered
window upon a girl in yachting suit