Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-03

beautiful dream into a jest-for what do
you think the fruit under the leaves
turned out to be?''
MargOt couldn't guess.
wedding rings!' answered Phoebe
laughing. Just plain. earthly. guinea
gold wedding rings"
''Well.' said Margot ''Well.'
Yes. just wedding rings, and 1t wasn't
birds at all that made that wonderful
chiming-it was just the breeze playing
among the wedding rings-but / must
say added Phoebe, laughing. Il never
heard such sweet music as they made; 1
can hear them yet-chiming. Ginning
there on that green island right away In
the middle of the sea-
well. that's not a very difficult dream
to read, is it?" said Margot.
You mean I'm to be married this year.
or some such nonsense. 1 suppose. 1t
was too silly for such q pretty dream to
end like that. You must be sure never
to tell any one about 1t. They would say
l was dying to be married.
And, aren't you. Phoebe?" asked Mar
got, coming closer to her friend and look
ing up into her face with sly innocence.
.'Margot!' almost shrieked Phoebe. TAX
ing Margot by the shoulders, and shaking
her with mock Indignation. you per-
fectly awful child. What do you mean?
l dying to be married! Why"
Eyes. DEAR" Margot interrupted. smil-
ing, I'VE all know that you could have
been married over and over again. and
that you've had as many proposals as
there are wedding rings on your island.
But don't you see that having rejected
almost ever kind of man possible. your
case grows the more desp rate
mot exactly desperate, Margot-say ex-
citing"
We'll, exciting then. and the harder It
seems to find the more anxious. or any
way curious. you become as to what.
when he does arrive, the wonder man will
be like.
Yes. wonder what he will be like. /
wonder sad Phoebe dreamily.
Have you no idea no picture Of him
in your mind?"
Not the least. / shall know him the
instant set eyes on him. that's all; and
my heart will say. There he is; he has
come at last.
Suppose he were never to Gomez
But he will. know he will come
He doesn't always. You know. l don't
think mine will ever come" said Margot
wistfully.
You silly child. What do you mean?"
II mean that 1 want the impossible.
so do l." answered Phoebe, lau;: hing.
I'VE all want the impossible: and. If we
want it hard enough. it surely comes to
US one day out of the sky
But little Margot shook her head in
credulously.
Il shall never marry she said with a
solemn shake of her head. Margot was
just nineteen.
II wonder what 1t Is that makes the
difference between the man We reject and
the man we marry" said Phoebe after a
pause. Il mean: Take a number Oh nice
men; they have all, we will say. attrac-
tive qualities. Gifts and good looks, man.
illness, and SO forth, are all fairly equally
divided amongst them. Yet one of them
is your man of destiny. and the rest
are a million miles away. I'm sure any
girl might have been proud Of the love
OF some of the dear boys that have loved
US. Margot-and yet. here We are two
old maids. heart-whole and fancy-free.
Oh, Mr.. Fairy Prince. where art thou
this fine spring morning.
Il think l know what il was we missed
in those dear boys. as you call them"
said Margot presently. They hadn't the
power or appealing to our Imagination.
Love- she went on, like q little wise
acre. wants something more than love
nd T.
very silly OF 1t. but it's true all the same
Love wants romance. and somehow or
other those dear boys haven't been able
to give Ii TO us SO far. 1 dare say they
make the best husbands. but If we were
to marry them. there would always be
a pining deep down in our hearts for the
one we should have waited for
Il do believe you are right, Margot
/ had never thought 1t out before. I
never quite knew why 1 couldn't marry
Jack Spender. for instance. You know
what a dear he is In every way. He's
SO strong and good and brave true and
clever and handsome and rich and every
thing. l was tremendously fond of
him, and yet-yes! you are right-we
are waiting for the man who appeals to
the imagination"
And perhaps When ne ooes COME
added Margot. well wish he hadn't"
"Ah. not" said Phoebe. with sud-
den serious light in her face. He can
bring us no sorrow so great as the sor-
row of his never having come
'Margot." she continued presently. with
an unwonted softness and shyness in
her voice. shall 1 confess another silly
thing? Will you promise never to tell
a living soul-and not to laugh at me?"
Margot promised. and Phoebe drew her
to a secluded corner of the garden. and
pointed to a bed of golden crocuses. par
ticularly vivid and thickly massed to-
gether.
DO you see those crocuses? Do you no.