Saturday's Child

san crossed the ferry and climbed up the long stairs that rise through the very heart of Sausalito. The sky was gray, the bay beaten level by the rain, and the wet garden

gging of the path, and wind screamed about the house. Susan's first knock was lost in a gene

ll is so dark that we ought to keep a light here," added Betsey fretfully, as they stumbled along. "Come out into the dining-room, Sue, or into the kitchen. I

hilly; a tall, milk-stained glass, and some crumbs on the green cloth, showed where little Betsey had had a lonely luncheo

soot and grease on the table-top, more soot, and the prints of muddy boots on the floor. Milk had soured in the bottles, od

ed Susan. She could thin

books and newspapers at the range. "No, Mother's all right. I'm going to

n in bed?" d

," Betsey said impatiently. "B

why not!"

d the hall door. "She hasn't come down

na say?" Susa

ttle sister said, "but so far it's not done any good! I go up two or thre

voice and the substitution of this weary little woman for th

fully. "Do you mean that you've been facing this for a month?

indow, catching her apron to her eyes. "I'm all right--don't mind me!" sobbed Betsey. "But sometimes I think I'll go CRAZY! Mother doesn't love me any

rself, but she put her arms about Betsey, and felt t

tarted the fire briskly, and tied an apron over her gown, to attack the disorder of the table. Betsey, bre

d Susan entered the dim, chilly, orderly room, her heart beyond any words daunted and dismayed. Mrs. Carroll, gaunt and white

e said no more. Susan kne

ds full," said Susan gallantl

lutely plunged into the news of Georgie and Virginia and Mary Lou. Mrs. Carroll listened attentively, and asked a few nervous questi

own plans, Sue?"

"But I'm with Georgie now,--unless," she added pr

m darkened t

o think of it, but we mustn't impose on you. No, indeed! This litt

eagerly. But the older woman interrupted

should all love it. But we're better left to

tsey's room the windows were wide open, the curtains streaming in wet air, everything in disorder. Susan found a little old brown gingham dress of Anna's, and put it on, hung up her hat, brushed ba

re going to st

s you need me," said

ner was a triumph; reducing the kitchen to something like its old order, she found absorbing and exhilarating. "We'l

oes for slippers when the boys came home at si

the hot dinner and the orderly kitchen. "This house has bee

ed eyes. After dinner they kept him a place by the fire while he went up t

he said. "She made me promise to make you go ho

ation, and Jimmy grunted a discons

ssuringly. And presently she serenely led them all upst

r us," said Bet

nd came from the mother's room. After awhile Susan not

till tight in hers. The wind shook the casements, and the unwearied storm screamed about the house. Susan thou

lanning for to-morrow's meals and house-c

he kitchen beyond was warm and clean and delightfully odorous. She said very little then, took her share, with obvious effort at first, in their talk, s

l grouped about the last of the fire, she laid her hands on

it, Sue," said

ch other's arms, and crying, and much later that evening, after a long t

ave changed things," confided Betsey, "she began to think for t

the hands for which the most critical of the household tasks were reserved. Always conscious of the vacant place in their circle, and always aware of the presence of that brooding and silent figure upstairs, she was ne

or a special new pattern, and experimented with house-dresses. Susan heard the first real laughter in months ring out at the dinner-table, when she and Betsey described their experiences with a crab, who had revived while being carried home in their m

d affectionate and brave, came home for almost every Saturday night, and these were special occasions. Susan and Betsey wasted their best efforts upon the dinner, and filled the vases with flowers and

, when you go in tomorrow, Betsey, I wish you'd begin about Christmas. Just say, 'Mother, do you realize that Christmas is a week fro

ooted was Mrs. Carroll's unhappy state. Now and then, on a clear day, the mother would be heard going softly downstairs for a few moments in the garden; now and then at the sound of l

ry close now, and mu

Valley for greens?" asked Susan,

ly. But immediately he added,

. "We'll trim up the house l

always," Be

, pumpkin pies. The four decorated the down-stairs rooms with ropes of fragrant green. The expressman came and cam

the packages they brought; she would not let so much as a postal card be read too soon. Billy had spent man

lying limp in the center of the kitch

" asked Anna, fingering

t very sure. "Do you know

books," sug

chestnut and mushroom and sweet pota

," began Susan, uncertainly, "at l

l, crumbs are chopped already

o Betsey, "Why don't you trot up

"I can't!" She turned appealing eyes to A

id Anna slowly. "Just put your head in the doo

table and went slowly on her errand. The others

bs, and half an onion chopped f

seem to think it

before. She was lying down, and she said '

d Anna, tur

said 'You're all go

ts, she

said aggrievedly, and Anna kisse

Susan said, contentedly, as she

m Stewart!" said Anna softly, filling bowls with them. And, as if the t

are we going to

Carrolls had gathered at the piano for the Chr

ink?" Philip re

't---" Betts

ll a disgusted an

he demanded. "Jo

usan stopped short in her work, her

ught to," she

ly. "Jo'd be the first to say so. And if we

when your father died. We'll have other breaks in the circle some day, but

ht," said Anna,

s for the Christmas dinner. It was after nine o'clock when the kitchen was in order, the breakfast table set, and the sitting-room made ready for the evening's excitemen

his," said Philip then,

lp. Susan, whose hands were very cold, struck the opening chords, and a

te, f

triump

nite in Be

ring to think of themselves at all. Presently the voices became more natural. It was just the Carroll children singing their Christmas hymns, as they had sung them all their lives. One of their number was gone now;

ot. She had not heard a footstep, above the singing, but she knew whose fingers were gri

ut daring to turn around;--this wa

ight, that b

ove the chi

ar! whose ra

ise men's ea

s it to the big, homelike, comfortable room, sweet with violets now, lighted by lamp and firelight, the table cleared of its usual books and games, and he

nees, O hear th

, oh night, when

ion; Susan forgot where she was, forgot that there are pain and loss in the world,

im delightedly, as the last notes died away and the

said, radiant and c

y white, and they co

g to open your prese

rather we shou

e miracle; Susan spoke with nervousness, but Anna bustled about cheerfully, getting her established in her big chair by the fire. Billy and Phil returned from the

s, a wonderful embroidered kimono slipped on over her house dress, looked like a lovely, fantastic picture; and Susan must button her big, woolly field-coat up to her chin and down to her knee

her, in just the old voice, and Susan's heart h

must tell Dr. and Mrs. Jordan that

, girls?" she asked, just before they

hen we get back to get breakfast by ni

you, and then before the others get home we

she and Susan were almost ready to agree with B

ng to be the happiest

the wet wintry weather, their hats twisting about on their heads, their skirts ballooning in the gale. By the middle of March Spring was tucking little patches of grass and buttercups

d a lunch basket, and walked, boys and girls and mother, up to the old cemetery, high in the hills. Three miles of railroad track, twinkling in the sun, and a mile

d where there was shade, under the oaks, "Mission bells" and scarlet columbine and cream and lavender iris were massed together. Everywhere were dazzling reaches of light, the bay far below shone blue as a turquoise, the marshes were threaded with silver ribbons, the sky was

Phil; Susan and Billy and the younger two

it, Nance!'" Anna reported that night. "She said,

"When has Philip ever been such an unmitigat

had that, and Jo too,

OESN'T, Anna. T

est had broken out from the younger members of the family. This might have been ignored, but there was no refusing the si

ding at the window, and looking down at the early spring flood

I could stay here forever. I never want to g

with a retros

Nance, if I had a regular trade or profession. But I haven't and, even if I go to New York, I don't want to go until after hot weat

LL marry, Sue!" Anna said, coming to put her a

en-year-old daughter this minute I'd tell her that Mother wanted her to be a h

ustified in her confidence. For six mornings a week she sat in the dingy little office on the water-front, reading proof and answering telephone calls, re-writing contributions and clipping exchanges. In the afternoons she was free to attend weddings, club-meetings or funerals, or she might balance books or send out b

Susan enjoyed her work, enjoyed her leis

as unhappy," she said to Billy. "Now I've got exactly the same things and

ost extraordinary people in the world, Sue. And

and husbands coming home at night are making people happy all the time! People are celebrating birthdays and moving into bigger houses, and having their married daughters home for visits,

en your philanthropy course, I wish you'd come out and demonstrate to the women at the Works that the on

er teach anyone!" l

ck, met the lovely Mrs. John Furlong on the shore road. Even more gracious and charming than she had been as Isabel Wallace, the young matron quite

Sherwin Perry home to dinner with him, and I truly, truly need a girl! Run up and change y

end she did go up to change her dress,--rejoicing that the new blue linen was finished, and did jo

or-cars that were waiting at the San Rafael station. Susan was amazed--a little saddened--to find that the beautiful gowns and beautiful

fancied. Isabel, trailing her frothy laces across the cool deep hallway, had some pretty, matronly questions to ask of her butler, before

to the maids, Sue, to take that responsibility entirely!" Susan recognized the unchanged sweetness and dutifulness t

an airy exquisite apartment all colonial white and gay flowered hanging

rdingly gave her own news, some glimpses of her European wedding journey, some happy descriptions of wedding gifts. The Saunders were abroad, she told Susan, E

But she instantly perceived that the comment was not acceptable to young Mrs. Furlong. After

he added kindly, "you and I are not fair judges of it!" And after a moment's silence, for Susan kept

rfect string, which Susan slipped t

hed the lovely chain tenderly, while she told of Jack's promise to give her her choice of pearls

maid was gone she added, "I always trust the maids that way! They love to han

eard her husband in the adjoining room, and went

g back and resuming her deep chair, with a smile, "and c

t always be right, unless innocent persons would sometimes agree to be wro

ome guest-rooms, she added confidentially, "My dear, when a man's first married, ANYT

lent laughter, provoked by his host's criticism of different tennis-players, turned his big ears red. John Furlong told Susan a great

Haley is," said John, admiringly. "I wish yo

her new delightful responsibil

ed for the Gregorys'," or "The Wilsons didn't get their card after all, Jack. Helen told Mama so!" All these matters were discussed at length between hus

d they began a game of bridge. This continued for perhaps an hour, then the men began bidding madly, and dou

sabel advisory and interested, Susan inst

tely "but I do so hate to see you drifting, and wan

he proprietor of the 'D

l began, seriously. But Susan, laying a

l women, know about the problems an

any real difference with me. I would have dressed more plainly, perhaps, as a working woman, but I would always have had everything dainty and fresh, a

. But she was back again in a few moments. Jack had just com

ack was wonderful," she said. Had Susan noti

eed, now," said

agreed Susan, feeling

dreamily, "they seem so--so sacred--but yo

her new estate by seeing it afresh through Susan's eyes. She had the longing of the brid

t light burning over her shoulder, and the fragrance of the summer night stealing in through the wide-opened windows. She gave a

house like this, and think that a string of pearls was worth

y interested Isabel, despite her polite questions and assents, but Isabel's possessions, Isabel's husband, Isabel's genius for housekeeping and entertaining. The gentlemen appeared at noon, and the four went to the near-by hotel for luncheon, and here Susan saw Peter Coleman again, very handsome and gay, in

elightful coolness of the lunch-room, suddenly Dolly Ripley, ov

ligently, but showed a cer

saw you all come in--'he seen th

ard it forty times within the past twenty-four hours, and wa

o Susan, "why don't you come down and spend a week with me?

," said Susan,

ock--'he seen that a mot

long as you did was a mystery to ME! It's a lucky thing you're not like me, Susan van Dusen, people all tell me I'm more lik

vitation open, to

re spinning over the country roads, in Peter's car, "but, my dear, Dolly Rip

!" said John Furlong, leaning back from the fr

to stay with her, Sue, and think wh

o drop her at the foot of the hill, she could be at home in five minutes,--back in the dear familiar garden, with Anna and Phil lazily debating the attra

ir on the lawn, reading aloud from the paper; Betsey, sitting at her feet, twisted and folded the silky ears of the setter; Ann

welcome gr

etsey, "we've just been waiting