Miss Prudence. Mrs. Nathaniel Conklin
turned and looked at her were not familiar either. Marjorie could get on delightfully with souls, but bodies were something that came between her soul and their soul; the flesh, like a veil, hid herself and hid the other soul that she wanted to be at home with. She could have written to the Hollis she remembered many things that she could not utter to the Hollis that she saw today. Marjorie could not define this shrinking, of course.
"Hollis has to go back in a day or two," Captain Rheid announced; "he spent part of his vacation in the country with Uncle Jack before he came home. Boys nowadays don't think of their fathers and mothers."
Hollis wondered if he thought of his mother and father when he ran away from them those fourteen years: he wished that his father had never revealed that episode in his early life. He did not miss it that he did not love his father, but he would have given more than a little if he might respect him. He knew Marjorie would not believe that he did not think about his mother.
"I wonder if your father will work at his trade next winter," continued
Captain Rheid.
"I don't know," said Marjorie, hoping the "turn" was not far off.
"I'd advise him to—summers, too, for that matter. These little places don't pay. Wants to sell, he tells me."
"Yes, sir."
"Real estate's too low; 'tisn't a good time to sell. But it's a good time to buy; and I'll buy your place and give it to Hollis if he'll settle down and work it."
"It would take more than that farm to keep me here," said Hollis, quickly; "but, thank you all the same, father; Herbert would jump at the chance."
"Herbert shan't have it; I don't like his wife; she isn't respectful to Herbert's father. He wants to exchange it for city property, so he can go into business, he tells me."
"Oh, does he?" exclaimed Marjorie. "I didn't know that."
"Girls are rattlebrains and chatterboxes; they can't be told everything," he replied shortly.
"I wonder what makes you tell me, then," said Marjorie, demurely, in the fun of the repartee forgetting for the first time the bits of yellow ware secreted among the hemlock boughs.
Throwing back his head Captain Rheid laughed heartily, he touched the horses with the whip, laughing still.
"I wouldn't mind having a little girl like you," he said, reining in the horses at the turn of the road; "come over and see marm some day."
"Thank you," Marjorie said, rising.
Giving the reins to Hollis, Captain Rheid climbed out of the wagon that he might lift the child out himself.
"Jump," he commanded, placing her hands on his shoulders.
Marjorie jumped with another "thank you."
"I haven't kissed a little girl for twenty years—not since my little girl died—but I guess I'll kiss you."
Marjorie would not withdraw her lips for the sake of the little girl that died twenty years ago.
"Good-bye, Mousie, if I don't see you again," said Hollis.
"Good-bye," said Marjorie.
She stood still till the horses' heads were turned and the chains had rattled off in the distance, then, very slowly, she walked on in the dusty road, forgetting how soft and green the grass was at the wayside.
"She's a proper nice little thing," observed Hollis' father; "her father wouldn't sell her for gold. I'll exchange my place for his if he'll throw her in to boot. Marm is dreadful lonesome."
"Why don't she adopt a little girl?" asked Hollis.
"I declare! That is an idea! Hollis, you've hit the nail on the head this time. But I'd want her willing and loving, with no ugly ways. And good blood, too. I'd want to know what her father had been before her."
"Are your boys like you, father?" asked Hollis.
"God forbid!" answered the old man huskily. "Hollis, I want you to be a better man than your father. I pray every night that my boys may be Christians; but my time is past, I'm afraid. Hollis, do you pray and read your Bible, regular?"
Hollis gave an embarrassed cough. "No, sir," he returned.
"Then I'd see to it that I did it. That little girl joined the Church last Sunday and I declare it almost took my breath away. I got the Bible down last Sunday night and read a chapter in the New Testament. If you haven't got a Bible, I'll give you money to buy one."
"Oh, I have one," said Hollis uneasily.
"Git up, there!" shouted Captain Rheid to his horses, and spoke not another word all the way home.
After taking a few slow steps Marjorie quickened her pace, remembering that Linnet did not like to milk alone; Marjorie did not like to milk at all; at thirteen there were not many things that she liked to do very much, except to read and think.
"I'm afraid she's indolent," sighed her mother; "there's Linnet now, she's as spry as a cricket"
But Linnet was not conscious of very many things to think about and Marjorie every day discovered some new thought to revel in. At this moment, if it had not been for that unfortunate pitcher, she would have been reviewing her conversation with Miss Prudence. It was wonderful about punctuation; how many times a day life was "wonderful" to the growing child!
Along this road the farmhouses were scattered at long distances, there was one in sight with the gable end to the road, but the next one was fully quarter of a mile away; she noted the fact, not that she was afraid or lonely, but it gave her something to think of; she was too thoroughly acquainted with the road to be afraid of anything by night or by day; she had walked to her grandfather's more times than she could remember ever since she was seven years old. She tried to guess how far the next house was, how many feet, yards or rods; she tried to guess how many quarts of blueberries had grown in the field beyond; she even wondered if anybody could count the blades of grass all along the way if they should try! But the remembrance of the broken pitcher persisted in bringing itself uppermost, pushing through the blades of grass and the quarts of blueberries; she might as well begin to plan how she was to earn another pitcher! Or, her birthday was coming—in a month she would be fourteen; her father would certainly give her a silver dollar because he was glad that he had had her fourteen years. A quick, panting breath behind her, and the sound of hurrying feet, caused her to turn her head; she fully expected to meet the gaze of some big dog, but instead a man was close upon her, dusty, travel-stained, his straw hat pushed back from a perspiring face and a hand stretched out to detain her.
On one arm he carried a long, uncovered basket in which were arranged rows and piles of small bottles; a glance at the basket reassured her, every one knew Crazy Dale, the peddler of essences, cough-drops and quack medicines.
"It's lonesome walking alone; I've been running to overtake you; I tried to be in time to catch a ride; but no matter, I will walk with you, if you will kindly permit."
She looked up into his pleasant countenance; he might have been handsome years ago.
"Well," she assented, walking on.
"You don't know where I could get a girl to work for me," he asked in a cracked voice.
"No sir."
"And you don't want a bottle of my celebrated mixture to teach you how to discern between the true and the false! Rub your head with it every morning, and you'll never believe a lie."
"I don't now," replied Marjorie, taking very quick steps.
"How do you know you don't?" he asked keeping step with her. "Tell me how to tell the difference between a lie and the truth!"
"Rub your head with your mixture," she said, laughing.
But he was not disconcerted, he returned in a simple tone.
"Oh, that's my receipt,