The End of the RainbowMacGregor, Mary Esther Miller
Philosophy
The End of the Rainbow
MacGregor, Mary Esther Miller
Canada -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
"The man she was engaged to. Don't you remember my telling you about
him? Why, they have made up again. He was here to see her last winter
and he was in Toronto to see her in the Easter holidays when she was
down there. I was very glad that it has all turned out so, for I found
out my mistake as soon as I set eyes on Eveline. I know I ought not to
call her that yet, and I don't to her of course. Don't you think she
has wonderful eyes? I always felt that dark eyes are much more
expressive than blue or even hazel ones, don't you? Oh, there is Anna
calling me. Excuse me, I must run."
He flew back to the group, and Roderick was left to digest what he had
told him. Unfortunately Alfred had a reputation for finding out things
and he had no reason to doubt his assertion. He slowly followed Lawyer
Ed about. They made their way down the length of the deck, his chief
shaking hands with every one, and at last away in the stern under a
shady awning he saw her. She was seated with Madame on one side,
little Mrs. Perkins on the other, Gladys Hurd and Eddie at her feet,
the Perkins' baby on her knee and a crowd of children about her. There
was no hope of having a word with her even had he the courage to go
forward and speak to her.
The children were sitting open mouthed, staring up into the face of
Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby, while in low thrilling tones she was telling
how the dreadful big giant came slowly up the stairs, every step
creaking under him, and the lovely Princess behind the door just
squeezed herself into a teenty weenty crack and held her breath till he
got past.
Lawyer Ed burst into the story with a roar, and every one leaped and
shrieked as if the giant himself had sprung into their midst. He
caught two of the youngsters and bumped their heads together, he chased
a shrieking half dozen to a refuge behind a pile of life-preservers, he
tossed a couple up in the air and pretended he was going to fling them
overboard, and finally he took out a great package from his pocket and
sent a shower of pink "gum-drops" raining down over the deck, and the
whole boat was turned into a mad and joyful riot!
Roderick lingered about for a few minutes until Miss Murray nodded and
smiled to him across a surging sea of little heads, then he wandered
down below to where the Ancient Mariner was seated spinning yarns to a
crowd of young people.
"Indeed and I could tell you many as good a one as that," he was saying
in response to the sighs of amazement. "I haff a great head for the
tales. If I would jist be hafing the grammar I would challenge anybody
to beat me at them. Take Scott now. He had the grammar. That's what
makes folk think his stories are so great. But if I had just had his
chance! You get an eddication, you young people. There's nothing like
the grammar indeed!"
Roderick leaned over the little pit of the engine room and talked with
Young Peter. The dull eyes were shining. This was a great day for
Peter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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