Saturday's Child

fortable red velvet back of the seat, dozed or seemed to doze. Mrs. Carroll opened her magazine over and over again, shut it over and over again, and stared out at the landscape, eternally slippin

een in the train a long, long time. In the racks above their heads were coats and cameras, suit-cases and summer hats, and a long c

de in the stage--six o'clock. Then they would be at the cabin, and another hour--say--would be spent in the simplest of housewarming. A fire must be built

etsey would plead. "Please, Mother! We'll

t enough in pleasant weather, was disgustingly cramped and close inside. Susan and Betsey were both

Mother," Betts reproached her, flinging herself recklessly

nd don't step on the camera! Don't get in, Billy,--I say DON'T GET IN! Well, why

e such a crab, Sue!" Billy said pleasantl

wait a minute, Betts!--All right," finished Susan bitterly, settli

hy are you talking ab

roll, bending her tall head, as she entered the stage, after a conversation with the driv

en jolt of the starting stage brought her head against Betts with a violent con

ng down more steadily now, and finally even Jimmy and the shi

vily loaded, for the cabin. Wind sighed and swept through the upper branches of the forest, bo

edwood branches carpeted the porch. The rough steps ran wa

ht of every chilly evening, had been brought down by some winter gale. A bleak gap marked its once hospitable vicinity, cool air rushed in where the breath of dancing f

Betsey began to cry, her weary lit

roll said perplexedly. "B

"And all the fellows are going to the O

usan, who had been investigating, said simp

a camp-fire--"

age gone!"

pen the door and set

an said, hunching hers

within, how suitcases were opened by maddening candle-light, and wet boots changed for warm slippers, and wet gowns for thick wrappers. How the kettle sang and the bacon hissed, and the coffee-pot boiled over, and everybody took a turn at cutting b

envious glance at her younger brother who, with Billy, was to camp for that nigh

and silence; blots of bright gold on feathery layers of soft green. High-arched aisles stretched all about the cabin like the spokes of a great wheel; warm currents, heavy with piney sweetness, drifted across the crystal and sparkling brightness of the air. The rain was g

general store for salt, and more matches, and pancake flour. Someone must take the other direction, and climb a mile of mountain every day or two for milk and eggs and butter. The

s over a stone-lined depression, erected a protection of flat r

f you must!" said Susan, complace

s the newly swept hearth, and touching to brighter colors the Navajo blanket stretched on th

p here," said Susan dimpling. "He thinks that a hundre

ey have had no practice in this sort of life. They'd

Susan, "now he'll talk for an hour!

child, in her bluejacket's blouse, with her bright hair in a thick braid. Busy about breakfast preparations, and interrupted by a hundred little events in the forest or stream all about her, Billy would

ten the talks between the two women ran far over the time their work filled, and Betsey would come running in to ask Mot

ough the trout ran small, and each fish provided only a buttery, delicious mouthful. Susan learned to swim and was more proud of her first breathless jou

s, aquiver with ferns, came down on one side of the pool, to the very edge of the crystal water; on the other, long arcades, shot with mellow sunlight, stretched away through the forest. Bees went by on swift, a

en of twilight woods. Back at the camp, there would be the crackle of wood again, with all the other noises of the dying forest day. Good odors drifted about, broiling

ng, or sat with serious young eyes watching the flames, owls called far away through the wood, birds chuc

n the dark? When was it that, through all the careless, happy companionship that bound them all, she began to know, with

aughter at her nonsense, and Billy's eyes when she looked up from musing over her book or turned, on a trail, to call back to the others, foll

a rite, something to be done with an almost suffocating sense of significance. Everything she did became intensified, her laughter and her tears were more ready, her voice had new a

. He was tall and strong and clean of heart and sunny of temper, yes--but with these things she did not concern hers

watching the expressions that followed each other on his absorbed face, while he cleaned his gun or scrutinized the detached parts of Mrs. Carroll's coffee-mill, Susan followed him with eyes into which a new expression had crept. She watched him swimming, flinging back an arc of bright drops with every jerk of his sleek wet head; she bent her whole devotion on the garments he brought her for

to herself. "He has made the best of everything that ever came hi

een a man and a maid, such as she had watched all her life, Susan thought. This was some ne

ve a house," she told herself, lying awake one night. A house--she and Billy with a tiny establishment of their own, alone over their coffee-cups, alone under their lamp! Susa

ood rushed to her face an

ithout his help. Billy had to take heavy logs out of her arms, had to lay a plank across the stretch of

an, laughing, when he swam after her, acros

safe on the bank, and Susan, spreading her wet hair ab

tures and shared all their duties and delights. Susan and Anna talked nearly all night, lying in their canvas beds, on a porch flooded

t their fire, and had their lunch, and afterward spent a long hour in the water. Quail called through the woods, and rabbits flashed out of sight at the s

ue!" Billy said idly, as they sat sunning themselves

marking the smooth ceme

h a kid, Sue--you l

can think of me as young at all," the girl answered

and then, suddenly enlightened,

cement, "will keep me from ever--ever being happy, B

y burned down, and he was three months sick in a hospital--yes, that may all be true! But follow him back far enough and you'll find he was a mean man from the very start, ruined a girl in his home town, let his wife support his kids. It's years ago now perhaps, b

h to touch his shoulder with a quick, beseeching pressure. The next instant she was walking away, and he knew that her face was wet with tears. She p

ne burst of mirth to another. They were coming home past the lumber mill when Billy fell in step just beside her, and the others drifted on without them. The

stopped, and they stood looking down at the foaming water, tumbling thr

such a heavenl

voice a little deep and odd before he added, with an effort,

to be married?"

l, so that in turning her innocent, surprised eyes, she found his face very n

he was half-smiling, but with anxious eyes. Suddenly she found her eyes

as too late to ask it, but her heart sudden

u know how I love you! I think I've loved you ever since

ought laughter to them both. Susan clung to him, and he

w and, although she held his hand childishly, she would not allow him to kiss her again. Th

onight, Bill!" she begged. "Not for months! For w

k any girl to do it!"

any girl. You're as

't afraid? We'll have to count e

d been a rich girl,"

le. And we'll have to live in some pl

e my darling little drawing-room! And we'll go to dinner at Coppa's and Sanguinetti'

" said Billy,

l tell you something I've been thinking, Bi

dthat, me

er begin at the bottom of the ladder, and work up to the top, than be at the top, through no merit of my own, and live in terror of fa

may get awful

thing!" sang Susan, and caught his han

ty. But in spite of this, or because of it, the meal moved in an unnatural atmosph

en me the spoons and the butter twice! Tell me about to-day," she

mbed to helpless giggling, and even Ph

s!" Anna rep

yourself!" sputtered

unior, met Susan's look for a quivering second, and

all crazy!" Su

hing!" anno

Billy growled. "It's

se broke out,--Philip was shaking William's hand, the girls were kissing Susan, Mrs. Carro

who had suspected it, who had been surprised, what Anna had noticed, what had arou

issing Anna with the hilarious assurance that his real reason for "taking" Susan was because she, Anna, wouldn't have him! No man who really loved a woman could speak like that to another on the very night of his engagement, tho

most disliked him! She did not want to be engaged this way, she wanted, at this time of all times in her life, to be treated with dignity, to be idolized, t

said to herself, she had never had a chance, like other girls!

on, there seemed to be no stopping them. Billy did not care for her, she sobbed to herself, he took the whole th

e to buy a trousseau, how were they to furnish rooms, and pay rent, "o

aid Susan, tossing restlessly in the dark. "I shall go mad if I can't get to sleep!" And she sa

rough pillar of the porch, and felt a grateful rush of cool air on her fl

e sky, spattered with stars. The exquisite beauty of the summer night soothed and quieted h

sh. Susan, draining a second cup of it

ightened--it

at the hand he held out to lead her back to the comparat

s," he said simply

arm's length, and st

happy, Bill?

d his hands suddenly free from her, and she was in his arms, held close agai

he terrified daughter of Eve, to herself. Breathless,

here--even for a second--u

ll you come over here to the fence for

rown--the unchanged Susan!--come and stand by a fence, and watch the moon r

stand at the fence, and gaze childlishly up at the stars. Billy, also resting e

sly, the moon climbed up the dark blue dome of the sky, and spread her silver magic on the lan

magnificent in the moonlight; what Billy thought of the lovely downcast face, the loose braid of hair that caught a dull gleam from the moon, the sl

sted presently. "This has bee

alking--and after all, Sue,

breathless and dishevelled, back to the porch. And a moment later she had fal