Marjorie's Busy Days

choolhouse, her courage returned, and, without hes

ly as she pushed open the heavy door. The hall was as black as a dungeon, but

her heart. She ran up the stairs, and tried to sing in order to break that oppressive silence.

airs, which she had left open, suddenly slammed shut with a loud bang. The sound reverberated through the building, and Midget stood still, shaking with an unconquerable n

rolled down her cheeks, "but if I can just get tha

he street, but not enough to allow her to distinguish objects clearly. Indeed,

g, she came at last to her own, and

he clutched the book. And somehow the feeling of t

her of those resounding, re?choing slams that no one can ap

d what she was afraid of. Grasping the precious speller, she started, with but one ide

r going down was more dangerous than coming

hed the ground floor, only to find the front door had a spri

er when she realized that she

she had stupidly left that

have a key on the inside. You don't to our front door

arjorie's throat, and the tears came plentifully

ave to stay here all night. I won't go upstairs a

up, and Marjorie swung the big door open, and

rom her prison, and, after making sure that the door was securely faste

ve she had made her whole trip in less than an hour. It seemed as if she had spent a whole

u been?" cried the astonished maid. "

and, Sarah," answered Mi

I'm surprised at ye, Miss Marjorie, cuttin

downstairs three at a time. "What hav

en since she found herself once again in her safe, warm,

he knows that you've been o

l her, King, because I w

w it's all right, only I

Midget, in a sudden

, so Marjorie told King

r with mingled admir

cky of you, but you ought not to have done it. Why didn't

l of a sudden, after I had really started to come home.

? Well, just yo

an exciting adventure to get it, but Marjorie determinedly set to w

our, and a little before seven father and daughter

ather a full description of her

ened gravely to

he tale, "you did a very wrong thing, and I m

think it was w

t you surely know that you're

l occasion, I thought you'd excuse it

ears older than you are, and th

hone and ask you if I might go to Mr. Cobb's, and then I thought it would interrupt the dinner party. And I didn't think you

u come to t

use roof sticking up above the trees, it made me think I could

science that made you feel yo

"I thought I was cowardly to be so afraid of the dark. But I knew it

or yourself. But it is not right to go alone to a

olhouse? Where we go every da

the dark. And especially it is not right for a little girl of twelve. Now, whether

I'll never forget th

hing, and then say, 'I didn't know it was wrong.' Marjorie,

said Midge, cheerfully. "Perhaps

see you honestly meant no wrong, but I do positively forbid you to go out alone after dark

ve never wanted to before, and I don't believe I'

w, I rather like you; and I suppose you get your spirit of adventure and daring from me. Your

eem wrong, myself, but as you say it was, why, of course it must have been, and I prom

have the book, we must ma

d over on the most difficult words, and reviewed the back lessons,

that it's a good thing I did get my speller last night, for I had a whole hour'

hing, my child, if you had rem

was a mistake. I suppose every

wrong. Now the next time you are moved to do anything as unusual as that, ask some one wh

ynard told his wife ab

er arms. "Why, Midget, darling, how could you do such a drea

case. Her mother seemed to think that she

shuddering, "my precious child, al

rs away, "that was just it. An empty building

naughty, or not; I'm so glad to h

do it agai

never leave you alone again. I felt all the time I o

to me, my child. I don't want you to tell any one of what you did last evening. It is something that it is better to keep quiet about. Do you understand? This is a positive command. Don't ask me why,

can't I just

ynard

he said. "Now, listen! I said

ather,

t tell her. Tell no o

estly, and then she kissed her

ell of Marjorie's escapade, and so it

Marjorie put away her books, and sat wait

r the child usually was worried

these two selected the pupils,

h everybody loved her, yet her inability to spell was know

nd she demurely took her place nea

ear the head. She was a good sp

the children spelled away blithely. Now and t

ard the head of her line. She spelled correctly words that the

t whoever missed a word must go to his seat, leav

ir seats, and, to the amazement of all, Marjorie remaine

" said Mis

Norton, and regretfully Miss La

word wrongly, and then

tly, remembering her father's remark t

either side of the room. It was an unfortunate situation, for so fond were the girls

words as fast as Miss Law

ave Gladys th

n misspelled by people much olde

id Gladys, in a

wrence, with a sympa

ord, bidding her remember that it began with two pronouns: that is, we followed by

Marjorie had won, for th

have lost to Marjorie than any one else, and

use and found her mother. "Oh, Mother, I won the spell

ut hereafter I want you to s

I'm so glad I won the match,

what you think Mother wants you t