The St. Johns herald., 1900-05-19
TWO FLATS AND
 AN ACCIDENTAL
70 as 'ssS S 7,S 5.S s.s '77S 55S aS TS Es
THE suggestion that brought it all
Fly Ed ar Temple Field

Il r. suggestion that DTOugul lI "Ll
 about came from me, Leiieve.
 Suggestions of any sort usually came from me rather than ;largery, for have in my veins the adventurous blood of stanch New England ancestry, who had burned witches and fought Indians and later pursued relentless traffic in wooden nutmegs with the same high courage and fine disregard of conse- 9Gences.
 While Margery is of Dutch descent and inclined to be cautious, if not bit pig headed, ;is 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 provoll- ing little women that were ever created for the express purpose of charming and tormenting their fellow men Aiareery was the most delieously dear, and loved her SO well could forgive her anything. That is, anything but the way she treated Jack Eeasley.
 The dance she led that FOOT 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 string; and yet, as far as we could see, he had made TO progress whatever in her affec- lions.
 We had been talking things over; Jack, Ned and 1. in Margery's absence q never dared mention Jack to MargeTy. for fear of still further eX- citing that famous obstinacy Of hcrs), and even Ned, the most hopeful cF nor tals, had to admit Jacks chances looked blue. Ned, be it known. was the daring youth who had undertaken to guide G.y New England enterprise and other virtues (too numerous 10 men tion) through ife's pilgrimage.
 He and Jack were partners in law office. and occupied the ilat cn the top floor, where they iEdulged in certain Inystc!jous rites they called light housekeeping. while Margery and I taught EI.s.r and Delsar,e and prac- ticed the modest virtues Of hospitality in the Eat below.
 Nothing. therefore, could have been more if, suitable and otherwise 10 be desired ihan to have Margery and Jack fail in love with each other. eyep as Ned and lad done. Jack was willing enough. poor boy, but Margery baked. Ii was too provoking.
 As said before, we three had been :alking Ii over the day before while aiargsry was absent teaching the luck less children Of q rich soap r.apufactur- er to lay Wagner on the piano, and all agrerd that the situation locked hope less.
 Jack had been in the depths of de- spar because the terror of 1he choir for which Margery played an organ had called three times that wcen. and, though didn't believe she cared pin for tie tenoc, had never known naughty MargeTy to appear more viii fully regardless of Jack feelings.
 We had parted, therefore. g.oonlily enough. after fsuitless conference, and had relieved my mind by being cross to Margery all day; though l must own sine didn't seem to mind much.
 Il vas an awful day, raining cats and dags; ard !n the afternoon 1 got tired Q: being cross all 10 myself. and pro- posed ti-al We should shampoo our hair and dTl it on the rurior radiator. the Qh!y cte in the fat lar, enough for lhe purpose. Of course, Margcry ob- jecttd. Visitors might coule, she said. and then who would lei them in? i secuted the idea of visitors on such 2 day, unless. 1 observed, with sarcasm, sh'. was expecting the tenor again.
 She didn't notice this stab. so pro- ceed"tl 10 say that as the radiator was in the corner we could ru.l our big Japanese screen up in front of it, and, secure in our hiding place. let our en- tire visiting acquaintance, including messenger boys and duns, knock al the door til they got tired and then depart, unaware of our proximity.
 Accordingly fl wasn't long before we were snugiy ensconced on pile of sofa pillows On the Parlor floor, wrapped in our bath robes anl with our wet locks streaming out behind us across the radi- ltor: over which We had stretched