Margaret Cameron

“ Why!" Miss Manchester stared at her feet and sank into the seat again, holding the little purse in her hand. "I—why, how—the end of that sash must have been in my lap, and when I put the button away I must have closed my purse on a thread or two of the fringe. Oh, my dear!" remorsefully to Marjorie. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry to have given you and your husband all this trouble and anxiety. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Pray don't speak of it." Marjorie inclined her head slightly, with a chill little smile. "It is the greatest relief to us that you have at last found your purse." ”

“ Miss Manchester spoke in a careful undertone, gazing steadily at her sister.
"Oh, my dear! You don't mean—!" the elder whispered, gasping, and turned an agitated glance upon the unheeding Dollivers. "Oh—Emily! How can you!"
"'Sh!" warned the little gray lady. "If we manage it right it probably won't be necessary to say anything definite. I hope we may be spared—publicity."
"IT'S SO EASY TO OVERLOOK ONE OF THOSE LITTLE CHAIN-PURSES"
"But—Emily, they're such nice people!" ”

“ Humming through the city and out into green country ways, they saw street-cars and trains packed to the steps with pushing, swaying, perspiring humanity, and were more than ever thankful for the little touring-car, and more than ever willing to practise the economies its operation entailed, since through its magic properties urban limitations ceased to bind them, and the whole wide beautiful countryside became their playground.
"Marjorie, how much do you really love your fellow-man?" ”

“ They must—we must find them."
"We'll find them. Miss Manchester," said Dolliver, in a determined tone meant to be reassuring; but Holden, whose face was beginning to set in grave lines, instantly bent upon him a more searching glance. "We'll find them, if we have to hunt all night. Now, tell us, if you can, just when you remember actually having the purse last. You are positive you had it when you entered the car?" ”

“ Cheever thus bestowed upon Corbin the sobriquet by which Marjorie ever afterward referred to him, adding, charitably: "Of course, business does make many people hard and suspicious, and I dare say he's had his share of trouble. But I'm sure no woman would ever misconstrue your motives so cruelly, and certainly no one who knows you, even ever so slightly, could fail to perceive how rarely sweet and generous you both are."
"Oh no, we're not! We only do what we like to do. But Page insists that never, never, never again will he pick up a stranger from the road!" ”

“ Dolliver told her, steadily. "She is, naturally, disturbed over the loss of her purse and her rings, but she understands perfectly," with a level glance at the lady in question, "that we are quite as desirous of finding them as she can be."
Miss Manchester murmured something non-committal, Holden transferred his keen gaze from Marjorie to her husband and back again to her agitated face, and Mrs. Whitney hastened to reiterate her belief that her sister had dropped the purse on the ground as she got out of the car, and to urge everybody to look for it there. ”

“ Not by way of recreation on a holiday, at least," she rejoined. "Of the two, I should much prefer to sit on the peak of a desert island, eating breadfruit and watching for a sail."
"You pain me, Marjorie," he drawled. "You pain me deeply. Can it be that you're a snob?"
"It can," she placidly returned. "All really nice people are," whereat they both laughed, and Page increased the speed, the way being clear again.
The automobile darted ahead of the following trolley-car, but they had covered a comparatively short distance when Dolliver stopped abruptly, exclaiming:
"By George!" ”

“ She and the other exchanged indecisive glances again. "But isn't there some mistake?"
"No, indeed; we truly want you to come. How could there be any mistake about that?" Marjorie's manner was very winning.
"Oh, I remember!" suddenly exclaimed the old lady in black, softly, in a relieved tone. Then, with penitent affability: "I do hope you'll pardon my sister and me if we seemed just a little ungracious at first. ”

“ We're getting old and absent-minded—and to tell the truth, we don't see as clearly as we might, my dear."
As she spoke, she stepped toward the automobile, followed by her sister, and Marjorie sprang out, exclaiming:
"Oh, goody! This is delightful! Now I'm going to ask you," to the taller one, who was evidently the elder, "to sit in front beside my husband, and your sister and I will sit in the tonneau."
The young couple solicitously helped their elderly guests into their seats, and while Page went to crank the engine Marjorie pulled a couple of dust-rugs off the rod. ”

“ And here—why, here there is actually a breeze!"
"Almost too much of a breeze," laughed Marjorie, gathering in the ends of her long, azure veil, which had blown across the face of the lady in gray. "I beg your pardon! I'll try to keep it in order." An effort, be it said, in which she was only partially successful. "I can't bear to tie it up tight under my chin in this heat, and it's attached to my bonnet, so I can't easily take it off." ”

“ Mrs. Dolliver—Mr. Dolliver—this is our friend and neighbor, Mr. Holden."
"Glad to meet you, Mr. Dolliver," said the young man, cordially shaking hands with Page, after bowing to Marjorie.
"Mr. Holden is also our deputy sheriff," mentioned Miss Manchester, in a casual tone, and again both Page and Marjorie looked sharply at her and then at each other. Holden, too, threw her a puzzled glance, which developed a twinkle as he turned it upon the Dollivers, though he was obviously embarrassed.
"'Some are born great, some achieve greatness,'" he began, flushing and laughing a little, but Mrs. ”

“ This cheeriness in the face of adversity especially appealed to the Dollivers, and little by little it became their habit, when there was no more immediate claim upon their hospitality, to ask Mrs, Cheever to share their outings, not infrequently including one or more of her friends in the invitation. ”