The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-09-25
A COINCIDENCE"

A COINCIDENCE"
Uncle Howard" asked Marjorie,
looking up from the book she was
reading, what is coincidence"
Let me see," replied Uncle How
ard, trying to think how to make a
simple definition. when two things
happen at the same time that have
nothing to do with eacn other, but
seem to have great deal to 60 with
each other, We call 1t coincidence.
Seeing that Marjorie still looked
puzzled he started to explain further,
when telephone message called him
away. AS he took down his hat in
the hall, however, he paused long
enough to say: I'll look out for a
first-rate coincidence to show you,
Marjorie, and then you'll understand
better
The next day happened to be Fri
day, and because there was no one to
drive Marjorie to school. and because
she was not able to walk so far, she
was obliged to remain at home.
Mamma and Uncle Howard were
very sorry, and they all thought of
the two shining gold pieces in Mar
jorie's bank that meant two whole
years without an absence, and of the
third that was to have joined them
so soon, for Great-Aunt Morton, who
lived in the big house on the hill, had
laughingly told Marjorie the very
first day she went to school that she
should have S. gold piece at the
end of each year that she was neither
absent nor tardy.
But the gold piece was as nothing
compared with the broken record,
and Marjorie sobbed aloud for few
minutes. Then, like the brave little
girl that she was, she dried her tears,
got out her paint box and began col
oring up some sunbonnet babies for
the other children.
When she went to school on Mon
day morning everybody was talking
about the fire that had occurred the
day before, and, to her relief, nobody
said anything to her about her alb
sence. She said to herself that she
Just could not have stood it If any,
body had.
Two weeks later the monthly re-
port cards were given out. Marjorie
received hers with a sad heart, as
she thought of the broken record.
She did not even open the envelope
until Gertrude Harris had turned off
on her own street and she was alone.
But as she glanced over the card
something within her gave a great
leap. Could she believe her own
eyes? There were no marks in the
absence column. The teacher must
have made a mistake.
Mamma and Uncle Howard looked
the card over, and said they were
glad Marjorie had gone from &c" to
&c plus" in her reading, but neither
of them thought of the omission.
Then came a great temptation to
Marjorie. If she should say nothing
about the mistake the record would
remain as 1t was, and the teacher and
pupils would forget by next year, and
Great-Aunt Morton need never know.
So the report card was returned to
the teacher without anything being
said.
All the next week Marjorie strug-
gled with the temptation. She
seemed unlike herself.
Friday came again, the last day OF
school. Marjorie could stand it no
longer. Summoning all her courage
she came back into the schoolroom
at recess, after the others were all
out, and sobbed out her story to her
teacher
80 you thought l made mistake,
did vou?" asked the teacher. I'm
SO glad You told me. because | can
assure you that you are the one who
has made the mistake. That day was
a very cold one, you remember, and
something broke about the furnace
early in the morning, so we couldn't
have school that day. We sent word
to all whom we could reach easily.
and dismissed the others as soon as
they came. You live so far away we
could not notify you. I'm sorry this
has troubled you so much; you should
have told your mother OF me sooner" )"
Marjorie ran round to Great-Aunt
Mortons after school with her report
card. and then fairly flew home to
tell ner story to mamma and Uncle
Howard.
That's what | call the happiest
kind of a coincidence" said Uncle
Howard, as he heard the IS gold
piece rattle down with its mates
Now you know the meaning of the
word"
Il call it a great victory" said
mamma, thinking of something quite
different. But Marjorie understood
both. Youth Companion.