Saturday's Child

st spoils, they all came home again. Jim's first position awaited him, and Anna was assistant matron in the surgical hospital now,--fated to see the man she loved almost every day, and tortured afres

ht of Anna's attachm

t among the men until they were quite worn out; Clem Cudahy had finally had one or two printed, for informal distribution, and there had been a little sensation over them. Now, eastern societies had written asking for back numbers of the "Oliver Lette

not happy all the time. There were times, especially when Billy was not about, when it seemed very pleasant to be introduced as an engaged girl, and

es nor hands from her. And there were evenings when they seemed to have nothing to talk about, and Billy, too tired to do anything but drowse in his big chair, was confronted with an alert and horrified Susan, sick with app

reconciliation being her disinclination to confess to Mrs. Carroll,--and those motherly eyes read

e actual work, and began to feel sure of a moderate success. He had rented for his office half of the lower floor of an old house in the Mission. Like all the old homes that still stand

hall, was a modest little millinery establishment, upstairs a nurses' home, and a woman photographer occupied the top floor. The "Protest," a slim little sheet, innocent of contributed matter or

the first on which their marriage began to seem a definite thing. It was in answer to Billy's rather vag

downstairs in the big front room, and clean up that

they walked downtown, in the afternoon sunlight, a

" said Susan, "and we can fix it all up, pretty old-f

mewhat indirect answer. They missed one boat, missed

oads of sunlight and fresh air, Sue, and

hing fit--would that thing fit--why not see paperers at once, why not look at stoves? Susan

hink, children?" a

id Susan,

id the mast

rst from Betsey. The engagement was an old

, you must be married in another ponge

too," Mrs. Carroll said. "Certain

nnouncements at cost,

ly snatched a kiss when the man who was selling them linoleums turned his back for a moment; Susan o

s of gowns, Betts, wild with excitement over an arriving present, and Mrs. Carroll's anxiety tha

e beyond dreams. Susan's was far from being the most modest in the world, and almost every day brought her beautiful additions to it. Georgie, kept at hom

, "and I am going to send you a piece of darl

connected with Susan's infant memories of castor-oil. Virginia had a blind friend from whom she ordered a wonderful knitted field-coat. An

and boxes and boxes came home, the engagement cups had not stopped coming when the wedding presents began. Th

ed the fascinating dark streets of the Chinese Quarter, or went to see the "Marionettes" next door to the old Broadway jail. All of it appealed to Susan's hunger for adventure, she wove romances about the French families among whom the

mirror decorated with arabesques of soap, would rush with him into the street. Fog and pools of rain water all about, closed warehouse

still ran, across the long line of piers, and th

to breathe. There were seats facing the water, under the engine-house,

as Susan knew,--the newspapers had left nothing to be imagined of the most brilliant of the season's matches, and pictures of the fortunate bride, caught by the cameras as she made her laughing way to her carriag

Furlongs. Isabel was obviously charmed with Billy, and Billy,

the month before the wedding, Isabel's happy excuses, in an aside to

the Mission," Susan said gaily. Isabel took he

He just loves things like that. And

s year meant to the girl's glowing and ardent nature what it meant to the birds, with apple-blossoms and mustard-tops, lilacs and blue skies, would come the mating time. Susan was the daughter of her time; she did not know why all the world seemed made for her now; her heritag

et with violets. The sunshine was soft and warm, if there was still chill in the shade.

ay from reality, yet conscious, in a new and deep and

thought her strangely unmoved. She thought herself so. But she knew that running under the serene surfac

loth from the Kenneth Saunders in Switzerland. And from old Mrs. Saunders a rather touching note, a request that

oman, and, when Susan spoke of Billy, Mary Lou was instantly reminded of Ferd, the salary Ferd made at twenty, the swiftness of his rise in the business world, his present importance. Mary Lou could no

likes to have me there to remind her how much better off she is," said Virginia mildly, to Susan. "Ferd buys her things, and takes her places,

ith everyone,--all in a golden, whirling dream. Sometimes a cold little doubt crossed her mind, and she wondered whether she was taking all this too much for

upon which all her world turned. A hundred things a day brought the happy color to her face, stopped her heart-beats for a second. She had a little nervous qualm over the announcements; s

own of flimsy embroidered linen; Philip, in the character

ow. She and Billy had enough that was practical to discuss the last

whispered Billy, with his arms about

resting her head against his

the things in it that she would need for a fortnight in the woods, was open on the table. The gas flared high, Betsey a

you going to be warm enough up in

have fires!

Betsey. "I should think you'd feel so FU

kissed her and went away; Susan and Anna talked for a few minutes, then Susan went to sleep. But Anna lay awake for a long time thi

elt that the words should convey a thrill, but somehow the day seemed much lik

ast Billy arrived; there was talk of tickets and train time before she went upstairs. Mary Lou had come early to watch the bride dress; good, homely, happy Miss Lydia Lord must run up to

y-blue eyes shining under a crown of bright hair, with the new corsets setting off the lovely gown to perfection, her mother's lace at her throat and wri

he little walk to church. "Are we all ready?" as

" said Philip. "You're

s Carroll,--this was Miss Brown. Yes, everyone was here. The groom and his best man had gone in the other door. Who would give away the bride? This gentleman, Mr. Eastman, who was just now st

an's side,--stopped,--and heard a rich Italian voice asking questions in

ot raise her eyes. She studied the pattern that fell on the red altar-carpet through a sun-flooded window. She tol

y into the kind old face so near her

rriage, in the eyes of Heaven at least. Getting married seemed a very casual and brief matter. Susan wished that there was more form to it; pages, and heralds wi

r was here!" said Susan to herself, perfun

its lilies-of-the-valley, had dropped by her side, was thrilled to th

implicity. He was marrying his girl, and praying for them both, his

his hand, and

ayed, "and make us love each other

denly everything was over. Billy and she were walking down the aisle again,

s her!" Betts reproach

bewildered kiss from his wife before Anna and

mmed table, and let everyone wait on her. She ran upstairs with Anna to get into her corduroy camping-suit

arling!" said Betts,

," whispered Anna,

rs. Carroll, and Susan knew of whom the mother w

darlings?" said young M

oom. "Don't you want to

Susan said pleasantly.

ed,

Susan said

moke in here," Billy o

you can!" Susan s

comes through I

cold dispassion, to wonder what she and Billy Oliver were doing in this close, dirty train,--to wonder why

go back to the city. But Billy, although a little regretful for the darkness in which they ended their journey, suggested no change of plan, and Susan found herself unable to open

ss, can you, Sue?" said

for the commonplace. "

k the eats, will you?

ill in the room; there was that blank forbidding air in the dusty, orderly room that follows months o

in the fireplace, and the heartening snap and crackle of wood. The room was lighted b

the hearth. "Gee, that's pretty!" he added, as she shook over it the l

It burst spontaneo

Susan," he said, with simple force, "if you only knew how perfect you seem to me! If you only knew

caping from his arm, and taking her place behind the cold chick

red hilariously. "Say, Sue, oughtn't those bl

look so horrid," said young Mrs. Oliver, composedly

aid, I'm going to help you every n

em entirely alone, while I run over the latest songs on the PIARNO. Here now, deary

have fun--doing things

g phases, but it was curiously exciting and wonderful, too, this wearing of a

r at her heart. And across her mind there flitted a fragment of the wedding-prayer, "in sham

, and for all their happy days there the sun shone,

am's wife, seated on a stump, and watching him clean tr

with your little feet tucked under you, wh

. "But don't you wish we didn't

e was kneeling. "But there's the 'Protest' you know,--there's a lot to do! And we'll come ba

we can manage it financia

course, you want to have all the kids brought up in white stocki

forest and not be ashamed! But when we go back, Bill, and I realize that Isabel Wallace may come in and find me pressing my window curtains, or that we honestly can't afford to sen

t actionable for

est, palpitating to-day with a rush of new fragrance, new color, new song. Far above, b

g other women how to live. But when it comes to living down among them, really turning my carpet

er five nights a week, we'll be trotting downtown on other nights, or over at the Carrolls', or up here." Billy stood up. "There's precious little real poverty in the world," he said, c

nst him as he sat beside her on the stump. But his nearn

ry, promise me, oh, promise!

s going to choose Del Monte or

ed everyone who gave them dinners had to have cards afterwards. Well, it seems they went to Del Monte, and they moped about for a day or two, and, finally, Jerry found out that the Joe Carrs were at Santa Cruz,--the C

for any nation to carry!

rhouses and prisons, and single tax, and labor pensions, and eight-hour days, and f