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Warner, Anne, 1869-1913

"The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary"

Morley, I'd
never forgive you the longest day I live."
"I know you wouldn't," said he, "and you may be quite sure that I shall
not say it. On the contrary I shall merely implore you to forget your own
pleasure in consideration of mine."
"I really ought to devote the morning to Mr. Morley," she said
meditatively; "it's such an honor his coming here, you know."
"A little bit of a whiskered monkey," said Jack in great disgust; "an
honor, indeed!"
"He's a very great man," said Mrs. Rosscott; "every sort of institution
has given him a few letters to put after his name, and some have given him
whole syllables."
"You must get a straw hat, you know, or a sun-shade; it will be hot in
half an hour."
"Oh, I couldn't stay out half an hour; fifteen minutes would be the
longest."
"All right, fifteen minutes, then, but do hurry."
"I didn't say that I would go," she said, opening her eyes; "and yet I
feel myself gone." She laughed lightly.
"Do hurry," he pleaded freshly; "oh, I am so hungry to--"
She disappeared within doors and five minutes later came back with one of
those charming floppy English garden hats, tied with a muslin bow beneath
her dimpled chin.
"This is so good of me," she said, as they went down the steps.
"Very good, heavenly good," said Jack; and then neither spoke again until
they had crossed the Italian garden and entered the American wood. She
looked into his eyes then and smiled half-shyly and half-provokingly.


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