Passaic City record., 1891-09-26
Meg-Margaret- Maggie.
BY EVELYN RAYMOND.

tell US purity Suudent.
John Allen followed the old cottager
into the little parlor, and was there left
to enjoy the salt water flavor of its
furnishings while his host went IN pur-
suit of ssmother." 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 appli-
cant for summer board, and regarded
him with unblinking eyes, meanwhile
rolling over and over in his cavernous
mouth monstrous piece of tobacco.
To end this unpleasant spectacle,
Allen said:
':I was told at the hotel that you were
desirous of boarders, else I should not
have intruded."
SAN they told ye right. But this
QOTulu COLlG a lcbbCI lLCLA
ret. They may alter things, an l 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."
To make the waiting less tedious, or
to crafty his own pride, the captain
took from the red covered table in the
Il h. ksD,lrrrf,rfc
eress," 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 a man
ner which indicated that all the un-
mounted amateur photographs with
which the work was crowded would have
to be examined.
Allen shivered; bnt, civility compel
ling, he began to look at the ''views,"
and had not gone far toward the end be-
fore he perceived that all were portraits
of 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 ii to such
adoring delight as shown in that weather
beaten old face.
''The re hern, all on 'em. Sophier
took 'em, but Meg Margaret gin her the
machine. Purity, hain't they!"
Exclamation rather than interrogation !;
but the other replied, promptly
"Very pretty. The face, I mean"
ssThat's what mean, tu. 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 agin
she comes down this year. She wrote
this mornin', an that's what upset
mother. We wasn't expectin' of her till
August; but-mother's a-comin now.
seed her through the winder.'
s'Sophier must be industrious"
thought Allen. There was "Meg- Mar
garet" IN every conceivable position
which civilized woman could assume.
Margaret in bathing-sui and in evening
dress; Margaret in hammock, under
tree, under an umbrella, feeding chick.
ems, fishing, on horseback, reading sew
ing, dancing, making bread, writing
shades of George Elliott Could any
mortal female look like that when en-
gagged in ''literatnre9" Certainly she
took it hard.
But the entertaining host had taken
another treasure from the dresser, and
brought it-literally wrapped in fine
linen-for the guests inspection. The
napkin covering had scent of lavender,
but the contents were, CT seemed, un-
worthy so much care. The treasure
proved to be the most summery of sum-
mer novels; book which, as critic for
the Clarion, Allen had himself harshly
reviewed. He marveled to find it there
and thus.
"Ahl "A 'Sconset Romance Have
you read ita"
s'No, l hain't read it. I hain't no
taste that way. But mother has-mother
has dozen times, guess. It's hern"
''Hers2" asked Allen, feebly, nothing
else occurring to him.
"Yes. Meg -Margarets. Margaret
Sudbury's own book, writ by her own
hand" The information of which the
captain ndQ QtllVereu ulnlScll was SO
weighty he was obliged to sit down.
So ''mother" came in and found them.
She had been prepared to say "no" 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 person who re-
quired to stalk things over" with any,
body, even sJane." She was the swift
est-motioned human Allen had ever seen.
Her presence in the parior had instantly
impaired vivacity even to that craven
image, her husband, for he go1 up, whis-
tling, and put the "Sconset Romance"
back into sacred, fragrant hiding.
Allen felt as if he had taken tonic.
eyes; I like the room, l like the
price. When can l Gomez"
"Righ off. Got much stuff"
.'Only valise and typewriter"
.'She's got one O. them. Carries it