Marjorie Dean Macy

our stroll and sail.” Marjorie was rejoicing in the beauty of t

rjorie?” Hal Macy glanced down at the white-clad girl walking beside

red in the matter-of-fact tone which had once been Hal’s despair. She cast a swif

ed “Say it again, dear. That you are glad to see me

nie and Laurie used to do, and then we used to laugh at them,” Marjorie gaily assured. “Come on,

ust as you were on that other night last year when you wouldn’t let me tell you that I loved you. You’ve the same kind of soft wh

e you?” Marjorie said lightly. She refused to say t

he unhappiest night of my life. Afterward I quot

nished a cheerful, interrupting voice. Unnoticed by the lovers Danny S

and untie the boat,” Hal advised

nly Armitage is getting peeved because he has to hang on to the

t patience is a virtue,” reto

g the evening—we hope. I’ve run till I’m out of breath. I’m going

to change your mind,

jorie. He prudently ranged himself upon her other side, peering timid

e dock three smiling-faced young people awaited Hal and Marjorie. The happiness which Jerry Macy, Constance and Lawrence Armitage felt over the b

them with effusive politeness. “So gl

or rushing ’em to the pie

wants to argue on a night like this?” Hal returne

bow. “I hope others here besides us cherish the same opinion. You

nything,” Jerry re

eaved a loud sigh. “What a

on the run seaward?” she inquired generally. “Don’t all speak at once. Don’t speak

the wheel. He stood steadying the boat at the little pier whil

d Sanford in time to see Marjorie before she had gone West with her father and mother to visit Ronny. In consequenc

the pier floor, where he had laid it briefly, and passed it over the side of the launc

ld music folio in Paris in a queer little odds and ends shop that had three numbers in it from an old Spanish opera called ‘la Encantadora’; the enchan

jorie said with enthusiasm. She went on to tell them of how she and Ronny had been sere

ining her with his ever ready flow of nonsense. Laurie was lightly strumming the guitar as he waited for Constance t

Girl did not wear her heart on her sleeve. She treated him with her old-time friendly gaiety, showing only occasional flashes of deeper feeling for him. Hal was confident that Marjorie loved him.

past winter. Laurie accompanied her softly on the guitar, the rhythmic beat of the music blending with the faint wash of the water against the boat’

Laurie banteringly announced. After singing their old Brahms’ favorite, “The Sapphio Ode,” C

nny fixed a severe gaze upon Laurie. “Do I look senti

gations. “If you try, and don’t succeed—” He made a motion a

rred with great resolution. “Hand me the guitar. I wouldn’t trust you wit

risk in handing you the gui

rumbling. Presently in the midst of his pretense of disfavor he surprised his smiling companions with the charm

Danny had earned a reputation among his friends as a singer of comic songs. Hal and Laurie regarded the departure merely as a decidedly successful attempt up

’s rendition of the song she 50had occupied herself industriously with the wheel, her round, babyish face as near

gave a fine imitation of a sentimental warbler,

nny retorted. “What does Mr. Lawrence Armi

fortune,” asserted

to devote myself to Geraldine. She never treats me kindly, but she’s an improvement upon you

others. Laurie was running a series of chords up and down the guitar strings which had an oddly familiar sou

ed itself on the moonlit air in a lilting mel

center,

us has ju

g of songs. Like the prince’s kiss which had wakened the sleeping beauty from her enchanted

y upon one of the singer’s. Instantly Hal had caught it, holdin

inished the song. He gathered her slim hand more closely in his own. “I h

air met in a long fond glance of affection. “You know I s

send back the music to it to Leila last spring. So I brought it to

it had not been for her Irish play you would never have come to Hami

, knowing you didn’t love me,” Hal confessed. “I knew I’d never st

ton’s journal and had felt a kind of terrible despair over it. He hadn’t understood Angela’s love for him until after her serious illness. Just when he was beginning to be happy he lost her. I couldn’t

wedding, dearest. Are you going to tell me that you’ve changed your mind and are going to mar

pleted. And there’s the Leila Harper Playhouse, too. So it couldn’t possibly be in the fall. But”—Marjorie made a tiny pause—“I think my work at Hamilton will have been completed by the last of nex

My heart went down when you said ‘not next June.’ But the first of May! That is sooner than I had hoped for. You can d

e up having the wedding at Castle Dean. In some ways I’d love to be married from my dear pretty home in Sanford where our old crowd had such good times. But the

t came in the tightening of his hands on Marjorie’s and

and decorating that must naturally go with a house wedding. She’d love it, because she loves us. I thought it all out when I was at Mana?a. That is, the main points. Violets were Brooke Ha

riends who were considerately ignoring their presence. While their friends kept up a lively murmur of c

ee that Macy takes his trick at the wheel,” D

s full of deep satisfaction. Marjorie’s final awakening to love for Hal would ever be a blessed

to see you so overworked. I should enjoy having you sit beside me

having you,” Jerry

your nice plump little hand. I would be ve

u. I’d rathe

persisted with an int

ered. She felt the color rise to her cheeks, an

ried holding hands with me,”

Jerry made indefini

t rested on the wheel. “You wouldn’t be so mean as to leave me out of this hand-holdi

the remainder of the ride the Oriole had the advant