Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-11-29
TWO FLATS AND
AN ACCIDENTAL

BY Edgar Temple Field.

about came from me, behefe.
Suggestions of any sort usually came
from me rather than Nargery, for
have in my veins the adventurous blood
of staneh New England ancestry, who
had burned witches and fought Indians
and later pursued a relentless traffic IN
wooden nutmegs with the same high
courage and fine disregard Of conse-
quences.
While Margery is OF Dutch descent
and inclined to be cautious, II not bit
pig-headed, as / often told her.
But no one could help loving her, in
spite OF her little Dutch obstinacy,
least of all myself, for of all the provok-
ing little women that were ever created
for the express purpose of charming
and tormenting their fellow men
Margery was the most deliciously dear,
and loved her so well could forgive
her anything. That is, anything but
the way She treated Jack Beasley.
The dance she led that poor fellow
was something TO move even a bearded
Turk TO pity For whole year she had
kept him dangling after her as abjectly
as dancing doll at the end of a string,
and vet, as far as we could see, he had
made no progress whatever in her atfee-
tons.
We had been talking things over,
Jack, Ned and l, in Margery's absence
IL never dared mention Jack to
Margery, for fear OF still further ex-
citing that famous obstinaey of hers),
and even Ned, the most hopeful of NOR
tails. had TO admit Jacks chances
looked blue. Ned, be il known, was the
daring youth who had undertaken TO
guide my New England enterprise anf.
other virtues (too numerous TO men
tom through life's pilgrimage.
He and Jack were partners in a law
office. and occupied the fat on the top
floor, where they INDUCED in certain
mysterious rites they called light
housekeeping, while Margery and l
taught music and Delsarte and prae-
ticed the modest virtues of hospitality
in the fat below.
Nothing, therefore, could have oeeh
more III. suitable and otherwise TO be
desired than to have Margery and Jack
fall in love with each other, even as Ned
and | had done. Jack was willing
enough, poor boy, but Margery baked
1t was too provoking.
AS | said before, we three had been
talking it over the day before whlle
Margery was absent teaching the luck
less children Of a rich soap manufactur-
er to play Wagner on the piano. ana an
agreed that the situation looked hope
less.
lack had been in the depths OF de-
spair because the tenor of the choir for
which Margery played an organ haa
called three times that week, and,
though | didn't believe she cared pm
for the tenor. ! had never known
naughty Margery to appear more VIII
fully regardless of Jacks feelings.
We had parted. therefore, gloomiiy
enough. after a fruitless conference
and / had relieved my mind by beng
especially cross TO Margery all day.
tbouph / must own she didn't seem 10
mind much.
II was an awful day, raining cats anu
dogs. and in the afternoon l got 'lred
of being cross all TO myself, ana pro-
posed that we should shampoo our halr
and dry 1t on the parlor radiator ,he
only one in the fat large enough for
the purpose. OF course, Margery oo-
iected. Visitors might come, she sald,
and then who would let them IN
secuted the idea of visitors on such
day, unless, l observed, with sarcasm
she was expecting the tenor again
She didn't notice this stab, SO pro
ceeded to say that as the radiator was
in the corner we could pull our oig
Japanese screen up in front Of IT, anu
secure in our hiding place, let our en-
tire visiting acquaintance, ineiuulns
messenger boys and duns, knock al inc
door till they got tired and then depaF"
blissfully unaware Of our proximity
Accordingly 1t wasn't long before We
were snugly ensconced on pile o. SOFA
pillows on the parlor floor, wrapped 20
our bath robes and with our wet locks
out behind us across Inc raui-
ator, over which we had stretched