, 1920-11-25
The
Wrong Envelope
BY JESSIE


ically she put the silver into the wire
that there was such a thing as dish
washing.
IF l only had the-courage," she
said aloud.
She looked out through the low
kitchen window to the hollyhocks that
stirred family in the morning breeze,
past them to the blue line of hills and
far off to a puff of cloud, feather
white on old Sugar Loaf.
"T1l do It'll" she dared herself.
Then she came back to the dish
quick, sure strokes until the white
kitchen was shining with scrubbed
table n swept floor and plates all
In a row.
She whisked through the work this
morning until at last with a sigh of
relief she took up her bottle of ink,
her stub pen and her very best writ
Ing paper. On the stone step at the
kitchen door she sat down, safe from
interruption.
For a long time she bit her pen and
ooa6hh " lCl hioI ctIllChtS utllis
forgetful of her purpose, she sat there
looking into a pleasant past and a fu-
ture that might be roseate.
She remembered the first time she
had met Dickey. She was carrying
the butter home from the Spring farm
and he had come swiftly up behind
her n asked II he might AXE 1t for
her. She could still see the frank
smile in his blue eyes and the way
he tossed back his head to keep that
one lock of hair out of his eyes.
Somehow they had found something
to laugh at that very first minute and
she had been delighted In his hearty
chuckle. They had stopped over the
spring after they had gone a mile
and Dickey had scooped he clear, icy
water up In his curved palms for her
to drink.
Could she ever forget the way his
laughing blue eyes had looked down
into her dark ones; or how he had
taken her hand in his big calloused
one n led her across the slippery
stones of the brook. for the shortcut
homer
thcE Hdu Dttn ITituuS ever SLICE
that morning-friends in varying
stages of friendship. They had quar-
relied and made 1t up and always with
that same frank ~comradeship that
limited no sentimental relation.
When she had first fallen in love
with him Marjorie could not tell, but
Of u sudden she knew she was
wretched when she was with him.
The candid friendship of his eyes
hurt. for she wanted something more,
his hearty ~handclasp was like the grip
Of a brother.
why" Marjorie Dean asked her
self, hadn't Dickey Stevens fallen
in love with herr Was 1t because
he had seen her washing the dishes
with a pink and white checked apron
tied around her waist? Was II be
cause they were too good friends m
he knew her in all the simple honest
ways-too well?'
And now-now the time had come
for him to decide. For he was going
away, going to work out his W sal
In the West. Dickey would be gone
for a year. and a year is n very long
time in any ones life.
She could feel already his steady
hand-clasp, and the way his blue eyes
would look into hers and he would
ask her to writel No, she couldn't
endure It. Girls were told they must
sit quietly at home and wait-it was
the mans place.
But l could help him sol" Mar
1orie told the little black kitten that
had stolen around to sit on her skirts;
"hem be so lonely of there-we can
laugh through the hardships, and I
should love II all, cooking for him
and mending and making a house
pretty. Oh, he'll need me !"
Then she dipped her pen Of a sud
den into the ink and began to write.
Dear Mr.. Wilmer (she began).
Thank you for sending hat wonder
full package OF books. I've dipped
into the novel already and 1 know
shall like the verse-but you mustn't
do this sort OF thing so often; 1 shall
be glad TO see you In August, when
you come on your vacation. and as
you say. this Is the prettiest country
I'm the world
Wen talk over what you said In
your letter when you come out-per-
haps II can walt until thenl
Your friend,
MARJORIE DEAN"
Marjorie read over the letter, draw
Ing her velvety brows together and
feeling her cheeks redden at what
she was going to do. Deliberately
she addressed two envelopes. Into
the one bearing the name "Mr. Rich
ard Stevens" she put the wrong letter
the letter she had just written.
h sealed II up very quickly. and
then before she could weaken she
called Tommy, aged ten. and gave II
Il hLna Au.-.H