Martie, the Unconquered

For Rose telephoned Martie at the Library, in the foggy early morning, that Doris was not well: there was a rather

e should learn of her engagement. She put up the telephone thoughtfully. Another delay. Another resp

. Dean Silver and John had duly sailed, they were far out on the ocean now. That was

hanged to her. The wallflowers he had twisted unseeingly in his nervous fingers, the kitchen where their eager, ardent talk had gone on over the boiling of coffee and the mix

r nothing to John now. He had not spoken of her to Dean

ced as she crumpled it in her hand. Presently she straightened it out, and read it again. She flattened it o

al, with a little house up there right near the big building. It would be so dignified, bubbled Sally

t-but think of the fun! A pretty house with a bi

e a mile out

you'll have your own car, and that's all I really care about! This

aughed g

g," she confessed. Sally flushed

you

they left suddenly. The sailing list was in the paper, too, with a little notice of them both. It's b

ill be in a day or two, and won't that be rather-rather a relief to you? Oh, and Mart," she broke off suddenly to

ened as she read. After a minute she turned the lette

ook my other article," Martie explained

ly

MRS. B

losed is a check for $100, which we hope will be satisfactory to you. Our readers have taken so con

an offer of permanent work on our staff. We make a special feature, as perhaps you know, of articles of int

t us hear from

ten, Mart, don't say anything about Joe's plans, will you? That's all in the air. I've got to go now, it's eleven. And Mart, don't worry too much ab

answered enigmatically, kissing Mary's soft little neck where the silky curls showed

showed more of the encircling brown hills; by noon the school children would rush into a sunshiny world. Shopping women pushed baby-carriages over the crossings; a new generation of boys and girls would swarm to Bonestell's in the late af

r place. Already Miss Fanny suspected the truth, and her manner had changed

with the third daughter who should have been a son. Teddy and Billy came in; they wanted five cents for nails; they ha

rnoon: she had shopping to do. She ate her basket lunch as usual, then she walked out into the glari

church, where the noises of Main Street were softened, as was the very daylight that penetrate

to the gate. It was sunset and the wind had fallen

to my boy

filled with tears at her sister's tone: s

issed her, an unu

ove me

said troubled,

ow yo

caught Teddy's little hand, and walked away. Sal

of pies to Ma's or Lydia's mild apologies for the crust or the colour. How often had the windows of this room been steamy with the breath of onions and mashed potatoes, how many; limp napkins and spotted tablecloths had had their day there! Martie remembered, as long as she remembered anything, t

ly sewed at neck and sleeves; at Lydia's flat cheeks and rather prim mouth. She was like her mother, bu

longer, was iron-gray, too, and stained yellow from the tobacco of his cigars. His eyes were set in bags of wrinkles; it was a discontented face, even when Pa was amiable and pleased by chance. Martie knew its every expression as well as she knew the b

odd to arrest their immediate attention. "Pa-Lyd-I went in to see Cliffo

erstand, but whatever she did was all right. Malcolm settled his glasses with one lean, dark hand, and stared at his daughter. Lydi

" Malcolm asked p

as that she would not be able to ful

itting her phraseology to her audience. "I respect him, of course,

opped in an

r mind, Martie," said her father then, catchin

can you have-you can't just say that you don't want to, now-you can't just suddenly

t the sort of mischief I expected to follow a visit from men as entirely irresponsible as these New York friends of yours

, and several people noticed it, and spoke to me about it! It's none of my business, of course, and I'm not going to interfere, but all I can say is THIS, if Martie Monroe plays fast and loose with a man like Cliff Frost, it will

of this astonishing decision?" Malcolm asked,

only a passing feeling, and that I must have tim

k so!" Lydia inter

hat it was nothing," Martie said almost timidly, glancing f

due consideration, Martie?" her father asked darkly,

engaged for mont

ately, Pa," Martie

I think it would break Ma's heart!" she added violently. "You give up a fine man like

r. Dryden has gone off for a long tour; he may not be back for years. What

e there?" Malcolm asked, with ma

ritin

ake your child

gone into the parlour, and Martie, sinking into a chair, rested her chin on her hand, and look

run away and marry the first irresponsible scamp that asks you; you show no sign of repentance or feeling until you are in trouble; you come back, at my invitation, and are made as welcome here as if you had been the most dutiful daughter in the world, and then-THEN-you propose to bring fresh sorrow and disgrace upon the parent who lifted you out of your misery, and offered you a home, and forgot and forgave the past! I am not a rich man, but what I have has been freely yours, your child has been promised a home for my

did not speak. She had been watching her father with sl

suppose, and marry him when it suits your own sweet will? Well, now, I'll tell you something, young lady," he added, with a sort of confident menace, "you'll do nothing of the kind! You sit down now and write Clifford a note, and tell him you were a fool. And don't let me ever hear another word of this New York nonsense! Upon my word,

even cried-I'm not proud of myself, Pa! And he asked me to think it over, and not to worry about po

oesn't take his turn to jilt YOU! On my word, I never heard anything like it! What possesses you is more than I can understand. You deliberately bring unh

ad a bitter experience-an experience that you could have spared me, and Lydia before me, if you had cared!-and I had a girl's hell to bear; I had to go about among my friends ASHAMED! You didn't comfort me; you didn't tell me that if I learned a little French, and brushed up my hair, and bought white shoes, the NEXT young man wouldn't throw me over for a prettier and more accomplished woman! You were ashamed of me! Sally, just as ignorant as Teddy is this minute, dashed into marriage; she was afraid, as I was, of being a dependent old maid! She married a good man-but that wasn't your doing! I married a bad man, a man whose selfishness and cruelty ruined all my young days, crushed the youth right out of me, and he might be living yet, and Teddy and I tied to him yet but for a chance! I suffered dependence and hunger-yes, and death, too," said Martie, crying now, "just because you didn't give me a livelihood, just because you didn't m

at each other. The old man's putty-coloured fa

, I suppose! How dare you criticise your father, and your sainted mother? You choose your own life; you throw in your fortune with a ne'er-do-well, and the

ways so generous and so good to us! I should think you'd be afraid,

r slam. For a few minutes the sisters stared at each other, then Martie went to the side door, and called Teddy i

e, staring at herself in the mirror, suddenly came to a new

sorry I am such a problem-so little a comfort!-to

d stiffly, trying to dislodge the clinging

e old odour of teeth and sk

the arm of his chair, and played with the thin locks of his hair while she completed the peace. Then she went into the kitchen, whe

hat I was sorry that I am such

t was just a quarrel," Lydia said. "If P

sleep with ill feeling between us, and so I came dow

so lightly if you r

ly, Lyd. Why don't

erest, "Angela does. But some

abels from white paper, and to write on them, "Currant Jelly wit

box of it out to the Poor House; I don't suppose they mind! But Mrs. Dolan there never se

o New York!" M

hole face

be good to Teddy?" his mother a

ES you to talk about

own there, to-well, to make good! Marrying here, and being comfortably supported here, seems like

to make you willing to break a good man's heart,

nd for my boy! He'd be happier here-" Martie, rather timidly watching her sister's face, suddenly realized the futility

I should think that SOMETIMES you'd wonder whether you're right, and every

have the prized last wor

e. She sat down on the edge of the b

boy! Haven't yo

canny prescience of impending event

encouraged him

leave me?" he

d her to the heart.

agerly. Still she did not speak. "Or do y

er heart. She tighten

are all I

played with the ru

ed. Martie was silent. "Are you going to marry them?" he add

she answere

arms about her throat, "promise me that you will never leave m

d Martie's own tears

eave you-just for

romised!" he

d the children, Ted, and we had to live

the box you dropped the train tickets into," he said encouragingly, "and I remember Margar's bottles t

son! I'd try to make

ly, just you and me!"

hair, her tears falling on his face. Ah, this was hers, this belonged to her alone, out of all the world. "I'm glad you told me how you felt about this, Teddy," she s

face was presse

more!" he said violently. "Because

ck on his pillow with a breath of re

of view for so long! He would always seem a baby to her, but he was a person now, and he had his part in, and his influence upon, her life. Suppose she had left him to

Martie awake. The light in Martie's room was turned up, and fell in a yellow ob

eddy and Martie came downstairs unusually well dressed, Martie observing that she had errands down town. Teddy kissed Grandpa

town, Pa, and I've written Cliff a n

my dear!" he said, departing. "I thought

?" asked Lydia. "I ought to have

to pass the cleaner's anyway," answere

what'll you do when these measles are over, and you have to go back t

ys," Martie answered, nervo

Lydia said, handing her her suitcase. Martie

r!" she said. "Go

grass, and in the thinning air was the good smell of wood fires. Grapes were piled outside the fruit stores and pasted at a s

osite the Town Hall, and he gave Teddy a pink "

ore, and Aunt Mart had her usual kisses. Sally was afraid that Grace's baby boy

s in their old clothes! Mart, do go past Mason and White's and see the linen dress patt

drew my two hundred and eleven dollars' bank account yesterday, and cashed a check f

ou do-you mustn't! I never

e's, nevertheless, and both the tan-and-blue and the all-white dress were taken out of the window and duly paid for and sent away. Teddy sho

in a low tone to Uncle Joe. Uncle Joe said more than once, "I'm with you-I think you're

es. They were strolling along, peacefully enough, when suddenly his mother took his small a

's mother said to him quickly and urgently: "Climb in, Love.

he dressing room, and came to the big velvet seats which he remembered perfectly. His mother was breathing nervous

t it started in perhaps two minutes, and then she took off his hat and her

'?" asked Teddy, c

oveliness! We're going to m