The Tupelo journal., 1902-10-03

BY KATE MASTER SON


JTTHEN Marjorie was starting from
wv Baltimore for her first summer
at Narragansett her Aunt Jane pre-
scented her with the fairy stone. 1t
was an ~odd-looking blue oval, Opaque,
set in Tuscan gold and hung on a
slender chain of the same metal.
"Nowadays we don't believe in such
things, my dear" said Aunt Jane;
but there is a cave in Virginia where
these stones used to be found over 100
years ago, My grandmother gave
this to me when L made my debut,
and | have had it ever since. | be-
lieve in it. 1t is supposed to be a
potent charm against evil, and it has
the power of giving a girl an insight
as to the character of her admirers.
1t helps her to select the man she
is to marry. l was always guided
by it."
"But, Aunt Jane" said Marjorie,
ways tells me you were a stunning
girl! Why didn't the fairy stone help
you to choose?"
1.-THE men l met didn't stand the
test" said Aunt Jane, sadly. let
us hope you will have a different
story to tell"
Marjorie had only been graduated
the year before, and had travelled in
Europe with her mother. But this
year was to be so different! Boxes
of gowns, trunks of hats and boots
and finery of all sorts had been
brought over for this seasons
launching; for, to a Baltimore girl,
a summer at N%arragansett is far
more important than a winter at
home.
Marjorie had read about summer
girls, and she knew that every girl
was supposed to get engaged to men
that she never intended to marry
during a season at the seashore, and
while she could not quite understand
how it was all to happen, she knew
that she was going to have a really
good time and would do as she other
girls did.
Two days after she reached the
pier she met Tom Hartley. He was a
poetic-looking chap with a rich
father. He had his yacht and his
horses and traps and autos, and
seemed to be a fayorite with the
younger matrons. He danced with
Marjorie once, and that seemed to
settle the matter. There was a hyp-
motto charm about Marjorie's dane
ing that the season developed. She
acquired any number of slaves among
the dancing men. Her reddish
Brown-Pottery hair had a way of al
ways seeming in danger of tumbling
down as she moved, and it had an
odor of violets that was most intox-
icating.
Hartley gave yachting parties in
Marjorie's honor until her mother de-
clared that it was becoming alto
gether pronounced. But Marjorie
called her attention to the fact that
Miss Cresswell, the pretty, sleepy
looking girl who lisped, was enter
tanned just as much almost. This
Miss Cresswell was the only dpe
who gave an evidence of disputing
Marjorie's reign as a belle. She
mooned about the piazza during
dances and didn't mind being talked
about.
Hartley proposed to Marjorie the
third week. 1t happened like this.
He had taken her out tandem driv-
ing. They came to a beautiful bit
of road with a meadow perfectly
white with daisies. She wanted some
of them, and he sent Johnson, the
footman, to gather them. They grew
tired waiting, and he suggested a
walk down the lane. A real pretty
lane it was, like a stage setting.
1t was funny how serious things
happened. He helped her from the
high seat of the trap, and the heel
of her white shoe caught in some
thing and she stumbled. He caught
her and held her hands tightly. MAR
i~oriel" he said. She laughed. 1t was
the first time he had called her by her
name, and it amused her to think of
his doing SO without asking permits
sion. Girls hate to seem to give
permission for things without a for
NAL request.
Then they walked down the lane
and he told her that he loved her
and asked her to be his wife. She
said that they had known each other
for such a short time that the idea
was preposterous, but finally an
agreement was made between them
for an entirely sub-rosa engagement
until he might ask her mother. Tom
said he was the happiest fellow in
the world, and they drove home to-
gether quite radiant, with johnson
sitting behind a mountain of daisies
on the back. He was a wise mar,
and had been with Tom some time,
so he took quite a while to gather
them.
Marjorie did not think she was
really in love. Bnt she had the proud
consciousness of a girl with her first
scalp at her belt. She smiled sweet
" at Miss Cresswell after dinner as
she was going up to dress tor the