The Washington herald., 1908-03-01
WHEN MARGIE CAME TO Ell ROSA
By INA WRIGHT HANSON.

The mustard had welded California
plain TO plain. binding them with its
golden bands. when Margle came 10 e
Rosa.
You had better go after her, Frank" "
said her aunt. Mrs. Graham. mistress of
FL Rosa. You are the only one Of us
who can talk with fingers 20 the poor,
afflicted child"
Having nothing 20 do but idle away my
vacation, I very gladly took the ten-mile
drive from El Rosa, in the hills. 20 the
little board station on the track. where
! was to meet Margie coming out Of the
north. As I drove along 1 reviewed the
signs one uses in the deaf and dumb Ian
guage. glad that I had learned them on
a certain other idle vacation.
No child alighted from the long train.
but young, slender woman, with hair
colored like the fields OF mustard through
which l had passed. She came directly
TO ne. somewhat timidly. but with no
indication OF nervousness. She caught
up tiny book fastened 70 her chate-
laine, and penciled rapidly:
Are you from FL Rosa?"
Instantly my fingers went into COM
mission. and the lighting ID of her deli
cate face was well worth seeing.
Il am not very rapid talker." ] said,
when we were driving toward the hills
fortunately the horses were fat and lazy
and needed no particular attention-"but
with practice / shall 90 better
You do beautifully she flashed back
II am so glad do not have to do the
writing-it is so slow. have the pro-
verbal womans tongue, only multiplied
by ten. That's dreadful. isn't it?"
'Terriblei 1 see my finish. I answered,
mournfully-or IL would have been
mournful IL my fingers could have shown
expression. II wonder why I thought
you were a child? I supposed you would
bring your dollie with you.
Margie laughed. You mean my Teddy
bear. Dolls aren't fashionable nova
days l suppose you thought I was
child by the way aunue talks about me.
get lots of petting everywhere I go;
and. honestly, I like Z"
She was very attractive. this silent
Margie. Silent is not the word at all.
either. for she was anything but silent.
She was the embodiment OF motion.
graceful. alluring motion. Her yellow
hair blew gently in little rings about her
delicate face. in which the color came
and went necessarily: her eyes glowed
and laughed and changed from gray 10
almost black with her changing thoughts:
her pretty mouth. though denied the
power of speech. could smile with a score
OF meanings; and her fiuttering slender
fingers spoke grace itself BY the time We
had driven through the mustard fields.
and wound around the sWeet-scented hills,
was regarding this girl with strange
feelings, considering the fact that I was
a ii hnf I
How Margie loved lowers. The roses
which gave the house its name, the
pinks. nasturtiums. the red geraniums.
which Californians are inclined 10 dub
common she reveled among them like
a golden butterfly. But better, 1 think.
did she love the wild things OF the hills.
When we came in from our horseback
rides. fragrance OF monardella, and South
ern wood. and good medicine mingled
their sweetness. and lloated from her
garments like incense from about some
beautiful golden-crowned sun goddess.
We never saw that girl morbid; she was
like spirit from paradise. with It's
brightness still touching her One day
asked her how she could be so when She
had been so cruelty afflicted.
Nothing can work me damage except
myself" she answered. Some one has
said that the harm we sustain we carry
about with us; and that we are never
real sufferers except by our own fault"
THAT doesn't prove up. Is Il your
fault that you are deprived of hearing
beautiful words and making them?"
Perhaps your ideas Of damage and mine
are not quite the same she spelled; and
her eyes Were very tender I have sc
much that otherwise l might have miss
ed. 1 have learned so much. I have
learned TO be happy, whether am happy
or not" Here she laughed "Oh. that
can be done. But do you know I have a
little private theory that just around the
corner there is waiting for me so great
a happiness that I won't ever have 10
pretend any more. II will be so magnif-
cent happiness that unhappiness viii
be impossible. It's sure waiting just
around the corner"
Another day we sat on the hillside.
idly watching birds and butterflies and
creeping things al our feet
Are you going to stay here. as your
aunt wishes?'' I asked her
"Oh, nor The answer came quickly.
In few days I am going to work I !
am 10 teach in the school for deaf and
dumb at Salem
Life would be pleasanter here for YOU.
and safer" I objected.
What is life" she spelled. quantity. !
but what am thinking Of all day? I |
had best be thinking OF helping other
people 10 be happy and useful, not 70 be |
just day dreaming. You are going into |
the world presently yourself
That's different. ] am a man, and a !
mans place is in the busy world. You'll
are only dear, little, loving child. Mar
gle, and you should be protected. Let
me take care OF you. Msrgie; and let me |
begin now. VIII you be my wife. sweet
heart? You know how ! love you
Margie shook her head regretfully. but |
with no show of yielding.
IF I were like other women. Frank I \
would put my arms around your neck
and say yes so happily--oh. so happily: |
but / should be a drawback TO you al,
ways, boy. In after years, you will 4
thank me for hurting you now"
/ pleaded. but pleading was no use with |