Once Aboard the Lugger-- The History of George and his Mary

r Bids Fo

the ripples from the lightest action

ur of every day and night, ripples from unknown splashes are setting towards us-perhaps to swamp us, perhaps to bear us into some pleasant stream. One calls it luck, another fate. "T

e has tossed into the sea of life, and the ripples will wreck a boat or two now snug and safe in a cheap and happy home many miles a

esperate. Now pneumonia lays erstwhile plump Master City Clerk by the heels and carries him off-consequences, consequences; that is one boat wrecked. Now Mr. City Clerk is growing mad with despair; Mrs. City Clerk is well upon the road that Master City Clerk has followed. M

I

ause George abducted the Rose of Sharon, Miss Pridham, who keeps the general drapery in Angel Street, Marylebone Road, sold a pair of g

Major who pu

is doubly distressed gentlewoman had lived in retirement in a bed-sitting-room in Angel Street. She did not purpose immediately taking another situation. This woman had sipped the delights of

eached her. This was a masterly woman, and

r, she one day carried into her bed-sitting-room wrapped about a quartern of Old Tom

s been left fluttering. Your masterly mind grasps at once and together a solution and its possibilities. Without pause for thou

he right even to address you; but in the moment of your great tri

er than myself makes me" she felt to be a mistake. Something decidedly stronger than herself sat in the quartern bottle a few inches f

cannot rest, I cannot live, while my darling is wandering on the hillside, or is stolen, and I am unable to search for her. Oh, Mr. Marrapit, think of me, I implore you, not as Mrs. Major, but as one whom your sweet darling Rose loved. If the Rose is anywhere near Herons' Holt, she would come to me if I called her, I feel sure, more readily than she would come to anyone else except yourself, and you are

but water since I and my dear little brother promised my dying mother we would not, the spirit went to my head and made me as you saw me. I will not write any of those things, Mr. Marrapit; only, oh, Mr. Marrapit, I implore you to let me come and look for my Rose. Nor will I tell you how fondly,

ors more experienced, her emotions had driven her pen to a point demanding a special soluti

the window. Miss Pridham's general drapery was immediately opposite. A bright patch of green in the window

idham's; in two minutes, leaving that lady delighted and one-and-eleven-three t

her pen an

e that? I will, Mr. Marrapit. Oh, Mr. Marrapit, I make so bold as to send yo

oad, jealous of rival brightness had filched their first delicate tint of gr

ers up against the fender; and then, sitting on the opposite side of the hearth, just as I used to sit for a few minutes with you after we had brought in the darling cats, I have imagined that your feet were in the slippers and have imagined that I am back where I have left my bleeding heart. I never

olt to find my darling Rose!-then without a

I

d to Mrs. Major from Herons' Holt a

that his Rose, if secreted near by, would come quicker at her call than at the call of another. His Rose had known and loved her for a full year. His Rose, ref

the turmoil that now had taken its place, came back to him and smote his heart. He opened the slippers, noted the tear-stains. Had he misjudged her? What more likely than her story of the racking tooth th

the breakfast room, a green knitted slip

t Margaret, ent

"Oh, father!" she cried,

with the red knitted blobs. "A contrite heart,"

at poetic image though she was, the symbol of a contrite heart in a pair of green knitted slippers with red knitted

vast and empty bottle of Old Tom with the fact that never had his judgment of man or matter failed him, he determined that Mrs. Majo

its exultant boundings at being once more in paradise. This was a masterly woman, and,

as Mr. Marrapit recited the history of the abduction. The white handkerchief she kept pressed against her chin punctuated the story

d finished: "Let me s

rly woman knelt. She fondled the silken coverlet; her lips moved. Suddenly she dashed her handke

moved, went to his room; took out the green knitted slippe

t exercise. Beneath her chin were firmly knotted the strings of her sober bonnet; a short skirt hi

n a voice humble yet strong, "I start to search, Mr. Marrap

it, watching her stride the drive, again fell to pacing and cogitation-had he misjudged her? Almost u

V

r's search, assuredly he would have misjudged her.

e; must

but place that creature's exquisite form in Mr. Marrapit's arms, she felt that h

o days, was considerably dejected. For it was clear to her that the Rose had not strayed, but had been stolen; was not concealed in the vicinity of Herons' Holt, but had been s

oomy it was, and desperately, sitting in her bedroom that night, the masterly woman battled for some way to c

aby-faced Hu

ot stick unle

dded mortification at seeing another in her place; and rankling in this huge wound was the poison of the knowledge that she could n

shing the overthrow of this baby-faced chit. If the baby-faced chit could be made to displease Mr. Marrapit and be turned

at. That would accomplish everything. She would have succeeded where the baby-faced chit had failed; she would have proved her devotion; she, would

t was not

he paced the room, threw up her arms in her despair. The action caused her to swerve; w

fe. The stunning agony in this woman's toes, as, hopping to the bed, she sat and nursed them, with the s

y direct passage, jumped to the time when last she had noticed the shop-she had been returning from a stroll by way of Sussex Gardens. And it was while mentally retracing that walk down Sussex Gardens that Mrs. Major lit plump upon the solution of her difficulty. She had noticed, let out for a run from No. 506, an

at she stripped and laid aside marked a forward step in the indomitable purpose she had conceived. As her fingers drew the most private from her person, leaving it naked, so from

setting towards us. From this masterly woman, in process of toilet, ripples were setting towards

discover, lack of affection that he might notice, could be attributed to the adventures through which the Rose had passed since her abduction. Under this head, indeed, Mrs. Major did not anticipate great difficulty. Similar cats are more similar than similar dogs. They have not, as dogs hav

of her masterly nose, she expressed the fear that she had outstayed his kindness in receiving her. He had granted her request-he had let her come to Herons' Holt; but two days had

note she ende

rapit told her. Her honesty smot

I must go. I have seen that you regard me with suspic

Mr. Marrapit. He had misjudged t

third that, eluding her handkerchief, escaped free and loud-a telli

reference. At present I am too preoccupied by the calamity that has desolated my hearth. Meanwhil

a little longer?" aske

Continue to pros

ared to suppose I might stop more than two days. I brought nothing with

ot to-

more convenient. I have ot

hen," Mr. Mar

his interview emboldened her to a second stroke. "The

fear

ut. I could not take it. I know you can ill afford it. Further than that, to have the joy of giving you back your Rose would be reward enou

isjudged her. Her handkerchief pressed to her eyes, very gentl

kly to her room; drew forth her

certain sh

y woman lun