Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1904-03-05
MARCIA'S
ORDEAL
By Martha
McCulloch- -WilliamS
Cnn,rinhf. I1ls hu Z. C. Mcclure
Copyright, 1905, bU T. c. Mcclure

All afternoon she had been Drawing it
out. forcing herself to smile and chat
ter dutifuly, listen respectfully to Cal
vcrlcy structures upon the world-her
world-and life in general and make
the requisite automatic responses.
Aunt Calverlcy was no blood kin,
only her fathers stepsister. but all the
more punctllious and difficult because
of it, Twice a year she came in state
to spend the night and day after at
Grccnwnys. The visits always left
Marcia and her mother uncomfortable,
but this was the first whose legacy had
been true heartache.
Don't look so, daughter. l don't be-
lcvc it," Mrs. Aston said. drawing
Marcia down beside her upon the piaz-
"a bench. She was small and fair and
blue eyed. all unlike her daughter.
Even Aunt Calverley admitted erudg-
ingly that Marcia was Aston through
and through That meant she was
beautiful.
"As handsome as an Aston" had
been n saying of the countryside this
We're slim and supple, dark eyed, dark
browcd, with fine olive skin and clear,
healthy scarlet showing richly in lips
and cheeks; light stepping too. Marcia
in especial had the motion Of flower
swaying in gentle breezes. There had
been something of natural irritation,
but no surprise whatever, when lvor
r.~11 i,, nk arck
sight
There could be no doubt of it He
called the very next day and the next
and the next, then upon the fourth;
planned a picnic in the grounds of High
Brook, his ancestral estate. He was
but newly come to it. The big house
had been shuttered and shrouded al
most twenty years. That was his ex-
cuse for asking his new friends to make
merry with him outdoors. Though he
was far too we'll bred to devote himself
conspicuously to Marcia when thus
playing host, by sort of tacit consent
she was pushed forward to be the head
and front of everything. The next day
he vanished unaccountably, but in n
week he was back again and evidently
more in love than ever. He managed
somehow to see Marcia every day for a
month; then came another absence and
in the midst of it Aunt Calverley.
Aunt Calverley was bursting with
news. Mrs. Aston was certain of 1t
the minute she set eyes on her. There
was a certain swelling as of pride in
her own discerning mixed with osten-
tatiOus pity for the blindness of her
kinfolk. Still she told nothing out of
the common until after the midday
dinner. when she had begun veering
dclicatcly to the subject of her depar-
ture. Although the length of her visit
was always as fixed as the laws of the
Mcdes and Persans, she felt sadly
sighted if in the last hours of it she
was not begged to make it longer.
Mrs. Aston had just said, with COM
mcndable show of hcartiness, I'm
sure there's nothing to call you home
you had just as well stay with us until
Monday" when the revelation came.
Il hope | shan't never be foolish
enough to wear out my welcome any
where's" Aunt Calverley returned VI
ciously. 81 know you two will be
wantn' to go right off and see your
new neighbors. OF course you know
I've Morris is fctchin' home his wife
and twins. Don't tell me you hadn't
heard? And him here so much! Well.
l am astonished But men air queer
specially the Morris men. How else
did the old major have six sons and
just this one grandson? And Ives
father was the widest of the lot.
Maybe that's why | mistrusted his son
so from the very first You won't
make me believe he's bringin' the wife
of his own good will and pleasure. l
believe there's been trouble between
'em, and she's brought the gentleman
up with round turn. How do l
know: You know he has got Peggy
Henderson to keep house for him.
On the way here l stopped at High
Brook to ask Peggy if she reckoned l
could get her daughter Fanny to come
and quilt for me next fall. Peggy was
so flustercd couldn't hardly get a
sensible word out of her. I've had sent
her telegraph: Comm home Satur-
day. Prepare adjoining rooms for Mrs.
Morris and twin children -
'Why didn't you tell us yesterday?
l would love to have made cake for
those children. Peggy HendersOn's
cake is always as heavy as she Is"
Marcia interrupted so gayly her mother
gave her Il look of adoring pride. Now
it's too late" Marcia ran on. "DO stay
ever Sunday, Aunty Calverley. The
Morriscs will surely come to church.
I'd like to know what you think of
her"
But there was no Turing Aunt Cal
verley away from talk of Ivor Morris.
His sins. actual and potential. beguiled
her into staying until sundOwn. al
though she had to drive ten miles.
Marcia endured it all wonderfully
just how she never quite understood.
She did not break down even at her
mothers wistful comforting - only
locked her fingers hard and said, gaz-
Ing far away into the glowing sunset:
"Why shouldn't 1t be true, mamslef
Ivor Morris has looked love at me and
spoken it. but never word of mar
riage"-
'IIe-he-- called me mother the very
last time | saw him." Mrs. Aston said
tremulously. IL tell you he is not
xuinEnI"