The Mettle of the Pasture

gal arm his customary anvil. Another clock in a dignified church tower also struck ten, but with far greater solemnity, as though reminding the town c

k ten, reaffirming the gloomy view of its resounding brother and insi

ing, cool, breezes were blowing, and the streets were thronged with people intent on making bargains. Possibly t

s. This oasis was enclosed by a high fence on the inside of which ran a hedge of lilacs, privet, and osage orange. Somewhere in it was an old one-story manor house of rambling ells and verandas. Elsewhere was a little summer-ho

ered by the toe of a little foot. A second push sent it still farther. Then there was a pause and then it flew open and stayed open. At first there appeared what looked like an inverted snowy flagstaff but turned out to be a long, closed white parasol; then Marguerite herself appeared, bending her head low under the priv

id not so much seem to have come out of the house as out of the garden-to have slept there on its green moss with the new moon on her eyelids-indeed to have been

h was not for her. At friendly houses along the way she peeped into open windows, calling to friends; she stooped over baby carriages on the sidewalk, noting but not measuring their mysteries; s

coming, but he heard me say I should be there at half-pas

st step and glanced rather guiltily up and down the street. Three ladies wer

here? He shall be

rted resolutely in the direction of a street where most of the law off

s gold-headed cane under his arm and holding out both

I left off," said Marguerite, l

e you when you

out your old Blackstone and all that kind of thing," she continued, glancing at a yello

ill make a good

ood wife of any kind. Ar

agements far ahead. But I expect to be t

Does it dance? I don't want

t come if I can

hy, pl

is falling in

y shoul

my nephew to

you know I'd

as young and your grandmother when

d Marguerite, as she danced a

street she met

Horace and all those things," she said threa

race had k

t have b

ten an ode Ad Marga

age

d a great deal of Latin. The professor used to say that I read my Latin b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l-l-y, but that I didn't get much English out

ave taught h

that the United States has contributed to the civilizations of the Old World. I said they were tobacco, wild turkeys and idle curiosity. Of course every one knew a

ow what the oth

w! But they were very

oming to

pe to

Miss Ann

is coming as a man; and sh

an?" said Marguerite, as she danc

roup of firemen sitting in their shirtsleeves in front of the engine-house, disappeared around the corner, and went to a confectioner's. Presently she reentered the street, and this time walked along the side where the law offices were grouped. She disappeared around the corner and entered a dry-goods s

pecker's. Barbee hurried to the entrance and looked up the street. He saw a g

use," she said, glancing at him wit

red, "a case of

o need propping. And you need not walk with me. I am qui

o learn not to walk

be very d

he right man steps forw

the library.

oing to th

r authorities i

excep

t shady street: they were

d the steps, Mar

I walk with you, Barbee? Y

near her, but soon

r and looked intently

seen against a clear sky. It wou

and all the fixtures-solid

a littl

ted across the street: "Are

ut wood! You're the tree that I want to dig up, and t

t deal-all in

ng to love me a li

can I

tortu

am I d

ything, that's the tr

re you l

n't sa

ou loo

l wrong: I shall

u name t

at

e d

hem all: Mon

, L

a love song-an old, old, old lo

hearing mine

time. But it's the man's song:

ntinue to s

n to sing close

to you a pa

he way that

ll marry

will ma

e minstrel must have been singing when

ed him with a fi

to you a dr

ound with go

ll marry

will ma

t made of it, made of nothing else! and then hung all ove

rite s

to you a co

e as black

ll marry

will ma

coaches and twel

g on, this tim

o you the ke

y love and

ll marry

will ma

, moving closer (as close as possible) and loo

nt was opportune, the disposition of the universe s

Please, Marguerit

n round the fringe. It was still again, and there was another quiver. It swayed to and fro

to the library as out

slow strides retu

shady side porch, "I saw Marguerite this morning and she sent her compliments. They were very pret

ing her brow (she never spoke to him until he did stop-perfect woman), "that Is what I hav

ith Harriet to Marguerite's ball," he

inly are not going wi

rie

nn

er. I shall take her into supper, because if you took her in, she would never get any. But suppose that

a turn in He

c seats of Marguerite's-and sat there with her for half an hour-in the dar

a, what o

ut what I want her to have is the pleasure of refusing: it would be such a tr

ou suppose it wou

e mused on the kind of

ing else," she added severely.

ght: "What do yo

u'd do anything; bu

to Harriet had been w

r plate and sprinkled the powder over them and set the plate where the powder could perfume the paper but not the house. Miss Anna was averse to all odor-bearing things natural or artificial. Th

s note paper, with an expression of high nasal dis

f long intimacy with the specified Crane, hopes that she (Crane) will not object to riding alone at night in a one-horse rockaway with no side curtains. Cran

m where she was virgin mother to the motherless, drawing the mantle of her spot