FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141  
142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   >>   >|  
o herself. "I suppose you don't ever call him 'Mary Jane,'" she said to the girl, a little mischievously, one day. "'Mary Jane'? Mr. Arkwright? No, I don't," rejoined Miss Greggory, with an odd smile. Then, after a moment, she added: "I believe his brothers and sisters used to, however." "Yes, I know," laughed Billy. "We thought he was a real Mary Jane, once." And she told the story of his arrival. "So you see," she finished, when Alice Greggory had done laughing over the tale, "he always will be 'Mary Jane' to us. By the way, what is his name?" Miss Greggory looked up in surprise. "Why, it's--" She stopped short, her eyes questioning. "Why, hasn't he ever told you?" she queried. Billy lifted her chin. "No. He told us to guess it, and we have guessed everything we can think of, even up to 'Methuselah John'; but he says we haven't hit it yet." "'Methuselah John,' indeed!" laughed the other, merrily. "Well, I'm sure that's a nice, solid name," defended Billy, her chin still at a challenging tilt. "If it isn't 'Methuselah John,' what is it, then?" But Alice Greggory shook her head. She, too, it seemed, could be firm, on occasion. And though she smiled brightly, all she would say, was: "If he hasn't told you, I sha'n't. You'll have to go to him." "Oh, well, I can still call him 'Mary Jane,'" retorted Billy, with airy disdain. All this, however, so far as Billy could see, was not in the least helping along the cause that had become so dear to her--the reuniting of a pair of lovers. It occurred to her then, one day, that perhaps, after all, they were not lovers, and did not wish to be reunited. At this disquieting thought Billy decided, suddenly, to go almost to headquarters. She would speak to Mrs. Greggory if ever the opportunity offered. Great was her joy, therefore, when, a day or two after the Greggorys arrived at the house, Mrs. Greggory's chance reference to Arkwright and her daughter gave Billy the opportunity she sought. "They used to know each other long ago, Mr. Arkwright tells me," Billy began warily. "Yes." The quietly polite monosyllable was not very encouraging, to be sure; but Billy, secure in her conviction that her cause was a righteous one, refused to be daunted. "I think it was so romantic--their running across each other like this, Mrs. Greggory," she murmured. "And there _was_ a romance, wasn't there? I have just felt in my bones that there was--a romance!" Billy
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141  
142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Greggory

 

Methuselah

 

Arkwright

 

lovers

 

opportunity

 
laughed
 

thought

 

romance

 

murmured

 
suddenly

decided

 
disquieting
 

reunited

 

reuniting

 

helping

 

occurred

 

romantic

 

monosyllable

 

polite

 

encouraging


secure

 

reference

 

daughter

 

quietly

 

sought

 

disdain

 

chance

 

offered

 

daunted

 

refused


warily

 
running
 

righteous

 

Greggorys

 

arrived

 
conviction
 

headquarters

 

laughing

 

finished

 

arrival


questioning

 

stopped

 

surprise

 

looked

 

mischievously

 

rejoined

 
suppose
 

brothers

 

sisters

 

moment