Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-05-02

~ only son, the yoke
lid not weigh heavily, but it sorely
CALLED Mr.. Emerson; and Margery, The
only daughter, chafed against it with all
the Intellectual impatience of her seven
teen years.
life would be so much easier if we
could only give up pretending!" she
cried; but her mother and Hsrry scofTed
at her philosophy. The striving aud
pretending, the staving of one debt aud
getting into another went on apace.
Lying alone in the hammock in the
fragrant twilight of late May day,
Margery was thinking over things in
general with a noble discomfort, when
suddenly from the room beyond she
heard the voices of her mother and
father. Mrs. EmersOu's tones were con-
ciliatory, as they were to be when she
sought some new favor; her husbands
accents were shrill and impatient, as if
his last thread of endurance were
strained.
81 thought, Henry, you'd like the idea
Of Margery taking this trip with the
Pages
Like it2 Yes, immensely. bIt !
VIC shall all be called upoa to take q trip
to the poorhouse instead. l c4ma to
that conclusion this morning when tlree
of Master Harry's bills were forwarded
me, each of them four times larger than
it ought to be-"
"Well, but Henry, you can't expect 4
young man to set through Harvard with
out bills"
The conciliatory tones was dashed
with defiance now, and the sharpness of
the answering voice was increased.
- don't expect it. Considering the
sort of young man Harry Is, should be
a fool if l did. And yet don't blame.
him half so much as blame myself. |
started him wrong. He'd be twice the
man he is now if he had been making
his living for the last two years, instead
of vying with mlllionaires' sons, acting
as though my poor little bucket of re-
sources were an inexhaustibIe spring.
And though it is different with Margerv,
the principle is the same. With all that
her private schools have done for her, L
doubt if she could earn a dollar for her
self, and who knows how soon she may
need it!"
All this was so wildly unlike her much
enduring, indulgent father that for a
moment the unwilling listener On the
piazza felt inclined to doubt both his
identity and her own; but her disposi-
tion was so like his that she felt an i'm
patient pity for the feebleness of her
mothers reply.
"But Henry! Harry will be sure to
repay you some day, and girl as bright
aud pretty as Margery cannot fail to
marry we'll"
Snow, May, he answered, with added
vehemeuce, "that is just where the rot
teunesss of our system comes in. Harry
will never repay NE, for he has not been
brought up to any sense of moral obliga-
ton. Ii he would put his shoulder to
the wheel, could manage to get through
somehow. But have no hopes OF him..
'Why, to-day my friend Sinclair pro-
posed giving Harry place as clerl. for
the summer, in his summer hotel in
Maine. But none of that sort of thing
for my son and heir! He is going with
a party to the AdirondacSs. "Margery
bless the child would take a cham
bermaid's place, believe, if she thought
that by dong so she could save me one
pang. But doubt if she could do even
that. All her chances, it seems, are
staked on a wealthy marriage-a pretty
poor ambition, it strikes me, for days
like these"
. Then it was that Margery, like some
modern Joan of Arc, heard a voice
which whispered of a conf ct beyond
with the hope of a victory. Then it was
that, leaning over the piazza rail, she
said excitcdly to hersalf:
81 will I'll give Harry a chance first,
for he could save papa more than half
this worry. If he refuses to help me,
I'll give him a lesson he will not forget
very soon.'
The next evening Harry came home to
spend Sunday. Margery attacked him
with all her might and main. Keeping
her own project completely in the back
ground, she appealed to his sense Of jus.
tice, his sympathy, his manliness, and
every other virtue it might be possible
for him to possess; but there was not
shadow of care upon Harry's handsome
face as he said
"Now, Margery, you were always an
igitator, but think it's a little unfair to
work on my feelings so near the end of
the year. You'd be eaten up with re-
morse if you got me so unstrung that L
couldn't pass. And anyway, old girl,
fathers all right. This sort OF thing
has been going on ever since | remem-
Der. There's always more or less of a
racket, but we get there just the same"
And to save him little of the rack
et-to show him that, after all, he
needn't despair of you-youll not take
this position with Mr.. Sinclair, instead
Of going to the Adirondacks2"
Harry cnly laughed. II wasn't made
FOR hotel clerk, Margery. L haven'H |
enough; and besides, prom
sed Fitch and Morrison months ago that
Id 60 with them. 4 gentleman never |
breaks his word, you know"
He lightly tried to kiss her then, but
re scorh in her eyes deferred him, and
= laughter subsided under her reply.
':But the gentleman may break his |
ather's heart one of these days, or tempt |
i'm to try how fast bullet can take
lim out of his troubles"
Harry gave a long whistle. "1lar-
.ery," he cried, Hwhat is "A fellow to do |
lnder a tongue like yours'"
But Margery knew sadly well that,
hough lie was neither bad at heart nor |
+ c.ous, the fellow in question loved
us Own pleasure too well to do the thing |
ne required of him. When he had gone |
Ee whispered to herself: