FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72  
73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   >>   >|  
ting good. Kind sir, I have nothing more to add." Mr. Cardew left the tent and sat down beside the rector and his wife. Maggie's words were really unimportant. As one after the other the merry group of actors went to have their fortunes told he paid no attention whatever to them. Gipsy fortune-tellers always mixed a little sorrow with their joyful tidings. It was a bewitching little gipsy after all. He could not quite make out her undefined charm, but he was interested in her; and after a time, when the fortune-telling had come to an end and Maggie was about to change her dress for what they called the evening revels, he crossed the field and stood near her. "So you, Miss Howland, have been telling my daughter Merry a good many things with regard to your new school?" She raised her queer, bright eyes, and looked him full in the face. "I have told Merry a few things," she said; "but, most of all, I have assured her that Aylmer House is the happiest place in the world." "Happier than home? Should you say it was happier than home, Miss Howland?" "Happier than my home," said Maggie with a little sigh, very gentle and almost imperceptible, in her voice. "Oh, I love it!" she continued with enthusiasm; "for it helps--I mean, the life there helps--to make one good." Mr. Cardew said nothing more. After a time he bade his friends good-by and returned to Meredith Manor. In course of time the little pony-carriage was sent down to the rectory for the Cardew girls, who went back greatly elated. How delightful their evening had been, and what a marvelous girl Maggie Howland was.' "Why, she even manages to subdue and to rule those really tiresome boys," said Cicely. "Yes," remarked Merry, "she is like no one else." "You have quite fallen in love with her, haven't you, Merry?" "Well, perhaps I have a little bit," said Merry. She looked thoughtful. She longed to say to Cicely, "How I wish beyond all things on earth that I were going to the same school!" But a certain fidelity to her father kept her silent. She was startled, therefore, when Cicely herself, who was always supposed to be much calmer than Merry, and less vehement in her desires, clasped her sister's hand and said with emphasis, "I don't know, after all, if it is good for us to see too much of Maggie Howland." "Why, Cissie? What do you mean?" "I mean this," said Cicely: "she makes me--yes, I will say it--discontented." "And me too," said
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72  
73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Maggie

 

Howland

 

Cicely

 

things

 

Cardew

 
telling
 

school

 

evening

 

looked

 

Happier


fortune
 

tiresome

 

remarked

 

friends

 

returned

 

delightful

 

marvelous

 
rectory
 

greatly

 

elated


manages

 

Meredith

 

carriage

 

subdue

 

desires

 

vehement

 
clasped
 
sister
 

calmer

 
supposed

emphasis

 

Cissie

 

startled

 
thoughtful
 

longed

 

fallen

 

fidelity

 

father

 
silent
 

discontented


joyful

 

tidings

 

bewitching

 

sorrow

 

tellers

 

interested

 
undefined
 
attention
 

rector

 

actors