The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-03-29
DerBrllllant
failure
BY katherine LesOiS
Copyright, 1906, by NJ. NJ. Cunningham

meet fate.
Fate in this particular instance was
represented by Margaret's father, n
self opinionated, self made man with
grievance. Margaret realized fully
that she was a factor i'll the grievance.
Her three sisters constituted the re-
| manning factors.
John Leckie felt that he had been
played scurvy trick when, having
proved that he could surmount obsta-
cles before which the average man fell
back dismayed and could rise from
nameless, penniless obscurity to posi-
ton of power if not popularity among
men and affairs, nature had sent him
daughters instead of sons. His wife
had died of very shame for having
failed so signally to fulfill her duty in
this respect.
The eldest daughter had tried to ex
plate her mothers offenses by enter
ing her fathers office as bookkeeper.
Today she ranked as his right hand
man. She wore mannish clothes, too,
and talked shop with her father from
soup TO coffee and was tremendously
bored when her sisters proposed enter
tanning few friends at dinner.
The second daughter had chosen art
and had opened small studio in a
western city. Anything, in her estima-
ton, was preferable to being told
whenever she met her father that If
she had been Il man she might have
built iron bridges instead of air castles
in art.
One thing John Leckie had done-he
had given them the best educational
advantages money could buy, and then
he had said, Now go out and do
things"
Margaret, fresh from the trip abroad
which Leckie considered the essential
finishing touch of a girls education,
knew that she would be expected to
do things" Her father had given her
time to unpack her trunks, to call on
her few relatives and the intimate fam
lily friends and to recover her equilib-
rum, so to speak. Now, when he sent
for her to join him in the library, she
knew what his question would be. Nor
was her surmise incorrect.
John Leckie leaned back in his I'M
tufted leather chair and stared frankly
at the tall, slender girl, who from some
unknown and far distant ancestor had
inherited grace almost patrician.
"Sit down, Margaret. I've spent a
good many thousand dollars on your
education. What d'you expect to do
with it,"
Il think l shall take charge of the
house" she said calm, without quak-
ing within.
Take charge of the houseY echoed
her father harshly. II pay Mrs. Jen-
kins to do that"
"And the whole house looks as IL 1t
were handled by hireling," replied
Margaret, meeting his angry gaze
without ninching. Bought Hired!
The words are stamped all over the
place. We have no home life, no home
atmosphere, and l want to make things
more pleasant, more like some of the
homes in which l have visited. think
that is my forte"
\ deep purple flush mounted to Lee
kie's forehead, and his fist came down
on the table with ringing thump.
$50, after all the money I've spent
OH you, after all the plans I've made
for my girls to take place in the
world as good as their father made for
himself, you have no bigger ambition
than to mend socks and bake pies.
That will add to the luster Of our fam
lily name, won't it,"
Margaret bit her lip. Leckie had
spoken as if the name had been handed
down through ten generations instead
of-one
New, see here! That gag doesn't go.
You're going to do something! Think
of your sister Harriet
Margaret did think, and then she al
most shuddered. She remembered
Harriet's untidy room, some cigarette
stubs she had seen lying on the unpol-
ished brass tray. Harriet had said that
after the long day in the office she
simply had to smoke to quiet her
nerves.
Harriet is credit to her father.
Men down street call her wonder.
And you want to mend socks! Good
heavens. Say. do you think you could
sell goods? I'll start you in millinery
shop-a lot of society women are going
in for that sort Of thing-or a tea
room, if you like. But you've got to
do something"
Margaret rose and half timidly laid
her arm around her fathers thick neck.
Father, dear, I'd so much rather
Just make tea for you and your few
friends. Perhaps we might have more
friends if
He flung aside the encircling arm.
"Now, see here, you're not going to
sit back on your launches and do moth
ing just because l have money. You've
got to make name for yourself ut
something" He was brutal now i'll his
disappointment. If you can't do any
thing else, you can teach. | know
man; helped him out of tight place
about three months ago; name iS Gray
don. He lives somewhere out i'll West
chester county and IS on the school
board. He has pull enough to get you
q job Mt teaching out there, and you
can try your hand at that. If you
can't earn five hundred n year giving
out some of the education that | paid
about five thousand a year for, you
you're a disgrace to the family. I'll
see Graydon in the morning. School
must open out there in week or So"
He bent over his desk as If the sub
ject were closed. Margaret paused In
the doorway. Her face was very
white. Her eyes burned like red stars
in the gloom of the curtained doorway.
'I'll do what you say, of course, ia
Their, but l warn you in advance that
l will be failure. 1 was not meant
for that sort of thing"
Her father flung back his big head
and stared at her.
perhaps you think you were born
to play lady, but 1 will fool you. You
don't come from that sort Of stock"
And so 1t happened that Margaret