Missy

s being. She had, at various points in her childhood, personally supervised the addition of the ell and of the broad porch which ran round three sides of the house, the transfor

n the flower-beds like fragrant fairy plumes, and the other flowers-all so clever at growing up into different shapes and colours when you considered they all came from little hard brown seeds. And she was familiar with the summerhouse back in the corner of the yard, so ineffably delicious in rambler-time, but so bleakly sad in winter; and the chicken-yard just beyond she knew, too-Missy loved that peculiar air of placid

found her homely environment dull or unpleasing. But, this summer, she found hers

d Missy's eloquent handling of this subject with the fleeting appearance in Cherryvale of one Ridgeley Holman Dobson. Dobson had given a "Lyceum Course" lecture in the Opera House, but Missy remembered him not because of what he lectured about, nor because he was an outstanding hero of the recent Spanish-American war, nor even because of the scandalous way his women

Holman Dobson! Unprosaic people, really interesting people. People who had travelled in far lands; who h

e for this in

nd of dull hopelessness all over you. The feeling was not at all in accord with the scene around her. For the sun was shining gloriously; Locust Avenue lay wonderfully serene under the sunlight; the iceman's horses were pulling their enormous wagon as if it were not heavy; the big, perspir

er uneasiness because she feared her mother might discover she hadn't dusted the parlours; mother would accuse

yet it was something to get one's picture printed-in any garb. Then there was a Southern woman who had built up an industry manufacturing babies' shoes. This photograph, too, Missy studied without enthusiasm: the shoemaker was undeniably middle-a

e wished, now, she'd paid more attention to what he'd talked about. Politics, it seemed, was a promising field in the broadening life of women. And they always had a Sheriff in Cherryvale. Just what were a Sheriff's duties? And how old mus

en pleasant to feel she was working in t

was young and she was beautiful, beautiful in a peculiarly perfected and aristocratic way; her hair lay in meticulously even waves, and her features looked as though they had

read: "Lady Sylvia Southwoode, Wh

ing lay behind the two-syllabled sound! And the sound of it, too, sung itself over in your mind, rhythmic and fascinating. There was such a difference in words; some were but poor, bald things, neither suggesting very much nor very beautiful to hear. Then there were words which were beautiful to hear, which had a

dy Sylvia made speeches in London's West End-wherever that was-and had a lot to do with bettering the Housing Problem-whateve

fence in her direct line of vision. They were contemplating a slight girlish figure who was addressing a large audience, somewhere, speaking with swift, telling phrases

spacious rooms glided numberless men-servants in livery, taking the wraps of the guests, passing refreshments, and so forth. The guests were very distinguished-looking, all the men in dress suits and appearing just as much at home in them as Ridgeley Holman Dobson had, that night on the Opera House stage. Yes, and he was there, in Missy's vision, handsomer than ever with his easy smile and graceful gestures and that kind of intimate l

ng curls till Raymond Bonner chanced to remark he considered curly hair "messy looking"; but Raymond's approval, for some reason, doesn't seem to count for as much as it used to, and, anyway, he is spending the summer in Michigan.) However, just below that too-demure parting, the eyes are such as surely to give her no regret. Twin morning-glories, we would call them-grey morning-glories!-opening expectant and shining to the Sun which alw

ph-though not nearly so alluring as that of the Lady Sylvia; a woman who had become an authoritative expounder of political and national i

rst rung of the ladder she has climbed to such enviable heights. She had just graduated from the local high school ("O

yes wandered dreamil

was wafted out f

Missy! Whe

issy picked up the Ladies' Home Me

ould write your name all over the parlour fu

fly out on some really high enterprise of life. However one can, if one's soul strains hard enough, dust and dream; darn and dream. Espe

smos!-Cos

verishly attacked the darning-basket again. Her energy may have been explained when, as s

porch watched the slim figure in its stiffly-starched white d

y's up to, now?" ob

urmured Mr

bout lamb chops. She's eaten almost nothing for days. And eit

Could Missy have heard and interpreted that tone, she might have been less

ult for spinsters than for mothers to remember those swift, free flights of madness and sweetness whi

d, accented gait that might have struck an observer as being peculiar. The fact was that the refrain vibrating through her soul

smos-cosmo

rd sidewalk, and that each of these cracks she stepped on ran, like a long punctuation, right through t

it came to her that it was a childish sort of game-she was seventeen, now. So she

rn eastward which led to the Public Library,

possibilities might be stretching out from this very hour, and of what she would say to Ed Martin, the

y a local celebrity. His articles were published in the big Eastern magazines. He went "back East" once a year, and it was said that on one occasion he had dined with the President himself. O

barely a whisper, found Ed Martin shirt-sleeved in his l

nts that the marvel was how he got so much accomplished. Local dignitaries of the most admired kind, perhaps, wear their distinct

ctory for us to print, have

minute," she began uneasily. "I was ju

Ed Martin en

sped her hands tightly together and fixed h

metimes it comes over yo

rding her out of f

metimes comes over you. Yo

ce and manner

eling that-Oh, it's so hard t

rds. But they're usually the most worth while k

at I was letting my life slip away-accompli

metimes, I guess." Ed Martin n

e DID understand things! She w

t started at something. At someth

in nodd

omething." She gazed at him with open-eyed trust, as if s

?-at writing

rfully Ed Mar

n his desk. "Just what do

can, I'd like to write somethin

kind of a germ gets into the system, I guess the best thing to do is to get it out bef

at did

"But the trouble is, Missy, we haven't got any jo

r her head. Missy fel

riting job," she pr

-his glance fell on the ornate-looking "society page" of the Maco

stasy Missy forgot to not

gs!" Ed Martin sat regarding her wi

n, addressing her directly: "You may consider yourself ap

resonance on enchanted ears. Sh

ut the matte

ssy straig

to five dollars a

every week! And earned by hersel

t satis

, Y

get your copy in by Wednesday night-we go to press Thu

she

ng him with questions. He was a busy man, and he'd put this new, big responsibility on HER-"a free rein," he had said. And she must live up to that trust; she must find her own way-study up

sed with emotions no pen, not even

f the luxury of an extensive grin. Then

en took up the editorial he was writing on the del

eet, was walking on something much softer and s

sed her, and the people sitting contentedly out on their shady po

Now and then a tiny cloud shadowed the radiance of her emotions: just how would she begin?-what should sh

Some day, in the big magazines... Everybody would read her name there-all Cherryvale-and, perhaps, Ridgeley Holm

te with the interesting, delightful people there. Maybe he lived in

ly like Polly Currier walking over there across the street

vale Beacon turned in at the Merriam gate to

sweet and satisfying. She looked a little startled at first, but she came over and smoothed her

rnestly with him on their way toward the house. Missy hadn't much dreaded father's opposition. He was an enormous, silen

palpitant but withal feeling a sense of importance, he greeted her j

blush

's going to darn my socks? I'm afraid socks go t

d, despite everything, to keep father's

"bridge" Thursday afternoon-that might make a good write-up. And father said he'd get her a leather-bound notebook next day. And when, after supper, instead of joining them on the por

through "Margaret Ogilvie" and "Sentimental Tommy"; the fascinating mysteries of Marie Corelli; the colourful appeal of "To Have and To Hold" and the other "historical romances" which were having a vogue in that era; and Kipling's India!-that was almost best of all. She had outgrown most of her earlier loves-Miss Alcott whom she'd once known intimately, and "Little Lord Fauntleroy" and "The Birds' C

tching out-up and beyond the gas table-lamp glowing there in such lovely serenity t

al essays about Politics and such things, she might

o fall. Yet, somehow, that made them seem all the lovelier. She could almost write a poem about that idea! Would Mr. Martin mind if, now and then, she worked in a little verse or two? It would make Society reporting more interesting. For, she had to admit, Society Life in Cherryvale wasn't thrilling. Just lawn-festivals and club meetings and picnics at the Wa

iously drowsy. Into the silence of h

o'clock and you're nodding!

he took her dreams upstairs with

explain: "Missy's working on the Beacon now, you know"; and to feel two dozen pairs of eyes upon her as she sat writing down the list of guests; and to be specially led o

mes, she prefixed a paragraph on the decorations which she h

ly enrich our lives! Does anyone know whence they come? Those fragile fairy creatures whose housetop is the sky; wakened by golden dawn; for whom the silver moon sings lullaby. Yes; sunlight it is, and blue sky and green earth, that endow them with their mysterious beauty; these, and the haze of rain that filters down wh

ening paragraph. But Ed

ust go or 'those present.' It's always best to print names

that day and who was too hurried to remember the flutte

ured in the Merriam archives, to be brought out and passed among admiring relatives. Yes, that was something! But, as habitude does ine

erent had not the items always

visiting Mrs. What's-her-name, has returned-" One must crowd as much as possible into as little space as possible. That was hard on Missy, who loved words and what words could do. She wasn't allowed much lat

iven by the Presbyterian ladies on Mrs. Paul

s the handsomest and most popular boy in her "crowd," and she used to be secretly pleased when he openly admired her more than he did the other girls-indeed, there had been certain almost s

that moonlit Wednesday evening when, in her "best" dress of pale pink orga

was to be for her a professional rather than a social occasion. Perhaps it was sentim

ofessional work, Mrs. Bonner bore down o

e Briggs. Archie, this is one of Raymond's friends, Mi

self-assured manner that struck her as very distingue. She was impressed, too, by the negligent way in which he wore his clothes; not nearly so "dressed-up" looking

tic necklaces across the lawn, were visible yet not too near; far enough away to make it all look like an unreal, colourful picture. And, above all, a

dn't speak of the scene at all, made a peculiarly delig

California. Had Miss Merriam ever been in California? No; she'd never been in California. Missy hated to make the admission; but Mr. Briggs seemed the kind of youth not to hold it against a pretty girl to give him a chan

es, he was "interesting"! Listening, Missy forgot even Mr. Ridgeley Holman Dobson. Here was one who had travelled far, who had seen the world, who had drunk deep of life, and who, furthermore, was near to her own age. And, other things being equal

purpose, suddenly explained she had to get her "copy" into the

e some of the ladies,

Mr. Briggs, banteringly. "Oh, it's not that!" She felt a sense

so forth for my report in the paper-I'm

or!-you? For

note surprised admiration, and her

e wen

ou wasting time on t

e repeated. Her voi

d you of being a highbro

ppreciate her importance, after all. But resentment swiftl

ghbrows?" she aske

ir place," said Mr. Briggs lightly. "Bu

emed her more highly in his first conception of her. Impelled by the eternal

pretty girl-the prettiest I've seen in this town." (Missy couldn't hold down a fluttering th

o dance and play tennis and b

lmost said, "a pretty girl." "Can't t

!" ejaculated Mr.

veryone ought to try-to enl

ck his head and laughed a l

d. "That line of talk coming fro

ously swaying ideals, had she but realized it-Missy caught the pleasing significance of his last phras

ieve-women like George Eliot and Fra

ake one of them to a d

into consideration. "Speaking of dances," Mr. Briggs was continuing, "my a

t a thrill that wa

table. "If you're not already booked up,"

y pleasant to have a visiting young man-a young man who lived in Keokuk and travelled in

in her report of the Presbyterian ladies' fete, she linger

f Keokuk is visiting Mr

; not rich enough

, is visiting at the residence of Mr.

Missy puckered her brows; a moist lock fell down and strag

the Far West, on his way to his home in Keokuk, Iowa, is visiti

d then "on his way" was

ort of reluctance, distaste for having it printed-printing it herself, as it were. That seemed, somehow,

he'd left out his sister! And adding the second name would remove the p

n California and the Far West, en route to their home in Keokuk, Iowa, a

sy gave a deep sigh, a sigh of mingled satisfaction an

r of moonlight-would be lovely and aristocratic-looking. And with some subtle but distinguished colour combination, like dull blue and lilac, for the girdle. That would be heavenly. But one can't have a new dress for every party. Missy sighed,

kind of necklace. She got out her string of coral. No. The jagged shape of coral was effective and the colour was effective, but it didn't "go" with pale pink. She held up her string of pearl beads.

n simple but aristocratic-looking "puffs" on either side-she did look t

n't you gone

red meekly, laying down

arth are y

e meekly yet. "You'd better," came the unseen voice. "Y

en a picnic of her own "crowd" she would not have forgotten it, but

to tag along with a lot of childre

could manage to get her "rep

e looked at the strip of moonlight drowsily-how beautiful moonlight was! And when it gleamed down on dewy grass... everything outdoors white and magical... and dan

Beacon, alluring stepping-stone to achievements

ssy went to the picnic next day, for her mother was unsympathetic toward the suggestion of contriving a "report." "Now, Missy, don't begin that again! You

erous. The picnic was as dull as she had feared it would be. She usually liked children but, that day, the children at first were too riotously happy and then, as they tired themselves out, got cross and peevish. Especially the Smith childr

sed a telephone call from Mr. Briggs-he had said he might

ght. Missy brightened. She broached the subject of letting out a tuck. But mother

sh they could wear short dresses again!" Missy listened with inner rebellion. Why did old people alw

iday-the day be

t lassitudinous and headachy, she put extra vim into her share of

idn't feel like going down to look over the Bonner Mercantile Co.'s stock of ribbons. She was having trouble enough

u feel we

fine!" replied Missy, tryin

sort of heavy around the ey

rt of peaked," af

ever to "perk up"-if they found out about the headache, like as not they'd put a t

e's measles in town. All the Smith children are down with it." Missy recalled

have run into it anywhere

the Society Edi

n have m

o her!" jeered Aunt

el fine!" So saying, she set to to make herself eat the

seemed to have jagged weights rolling inside at her slightest movement. She didn't feel up to experimenting with the new coiffure d'la Lady Sylvia Southwoode; even the exertio

l right?" she enq

fine!" sa

to-which meant that Mr. Briggs did most of the talking. Even at that it was hard to conce

of honeysuckle and wistaria and "mock orange" all commingled; and the lights shining yellow out of the windows, and the paler, glistening light of the moon spreading its fairy whiteness everywhere. It was inspiringly beautiful;

ing for a second encore

ute?-I must run upstairs-

you," offered Mr.

d, almost frantically, she turned and

though she thought she'd just lie quiet awhile. She insisted that Mrs. Bonner make no fuss and go back down to her guests. Mrs. Bonner, after bringing a damp towel a

ad!" he commiserate

fact, but a headache isn't without its advantages when

it's b

sy, her smile growi

is palms together briskly-"I've got electricity

said

head, then quickly down again. She felt, even though her face was already fiery hot, that she was blushing. She was embarrassed, her head was racking, but on the whole she didn't dislike th

sure of his hands seemed to send those horrible weights joggling worse than ever, seemed to intensify the un

ands stroked m

better

she g

only stop a minute! Wouldn't he ever stop? H

tumult in her throat, the piercing conflict in her head, and those m

seemed, she desperately e

ng worse. Thanks, but-Oh,

Mrs. Bonner, aided by a fluttering, murmuring Louise, attended her with sympathetic ministrations; and again while she was being taken home by Mr. Bonner in the Bonner surrey-she had never dreamed a surrey could bump and lurch and jostle so.

u should have called me yester

y!" chided mother. "And to thi

d young Doc. "W

function at the Bonner

ll be a fine little aftermath of measl

her sick-bed Missy heard the reports of this o

y repaid a deed of gallant service but, withal, a regret tempered by the thought they were now suffering together-he ill over there in Raymond Bonner's room, she over here in he

s at the Bonnets'-for Louise had duly "taken down," also; and then, as her convalescenc

other so much more intimately-the real essence of one another. For instance Missy within a few days learned that Louise Briggs was an uncommon

irl I've ever met, mother

mother, as if

ing-school in Washingto

said mot

bit uppish. I think that kind of girl

her drawn-Yu-ork, didn't at once answer. Missy

our work on the B

just hanging round a poky newspaper office. Travel, and a different sphere-Keokuk's a big town, and there seems to be a

er head lower

lot going on and-" mother paused a second-"

Archie when mother said "dear" in that

lissfully tumultuous days of refurbishing her wardrobe and packing her trun

s gone for a two weeks' visit at the home

much in its few words

in speaking later with her fath