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Page 37
"But I'm so lonesome," said Marjorie, who had just seemed to
realize what the main trouble was.
But Jane dared not disobey orders, and setting the tray on the
stairs, she went away, with fond backward glances at the forlorn
little figure sitting there.
However, the lonesomest human heart is bound to cheer up a little
under the influence of a specially fine feast, and as Marjorie ate
her luncheon and drank a big glass of milk, the detested stairs
began to assume a rather more attractive air.
And so, when Jane came to take the tray away she found on it only
empty dishes, while Marjorie, who was cuddled up in a corner,
reading, looked at her with a smile.
"The day is half gone!" she announced, triumphantly. "And, Jane,
won't you ask Grandma if you may bring me a glass of water so I
can paint. But tell her I don't want it unless she's perfectly
willing."
Grandma smiled a little at the stipulation, but sent Marjorie the
glass of water, and the child filled up half an hour or more
painting pictures. But the cramped position was very
uncomfortable, and Marjorie grew restless and longed for exercise.
Suddenly an inspiration seized her, and she concluded it would be
great fun to slide down the banister. For a few times this was
amusing, but it stung her hands, and finally she fell off and
bumped her head rather soundly.
"It's lucky I fell on the stair side," she said to herself,
rubbing the lump on her forehead, "for I promised Grandma not to
leave the stairs, and if I had fallen off on the other side I
should have broken my promise!"
The afternoon hours seemed to move rather more slowly than the
morning. Occasionally, Marjorie's naturally cheerful disposition
would assert itself and she would bravely endeavor to occupy
herself pleasantly in some way. But there was so little light, and
stairs are uncomfortable at best to sit on, and the silence and
loneliness were so oppressive, that her efforts successively
failed.
And, though Marjorie did not realize it, her spirits were
depressed because of the mere fact that she was undergoing
punishment. Had she been there of her own free choice she could
have played happily on the stairs all day long; or had the
opportunity been bestowed upon her, as a great and special treat,
the hours would have flown by.
At last, exhausted, Nature conquered all else, and, seated on one
step, Marjorie folded her arms on the step above, laid her head
down upon them, and went to sleep.
And it was thus that Uncle Steve found her when he came home at
four o'clock.
"Hello, Queen of Mischief!" he cried, gayly. "Wake up here and
tell me all about it!"
"Oh, Uncle Steve!" cried Marjorie, waking, flushed from her nap,
and delighted at having some one to speak to; "do you know why I'm
here? Did Grandma tell you?"
"Yes, she told me; and she told me something else, too. She says
that if you are properly sorry for what you did,--really, AWFULLY
sorry, you know,--that you may be excused for the rest of the day
and may go out driving with me."
"Well, I just rather guess I AM sorry! I'm two sorries. One,
because I disobeyed Grandma and tracked up her Front Stairs; and
another, because I've had this terrible, dreadful punishment."
Uncle Steve looked at his niece a little gravely. "Which are you
more sorry for, Marjorie," he asked: "because you did wrong or
because you were punished?"
Marjorie considered. "About equal, I think. No, I'm more sorry I
did wrong, because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have had the
punishment; and, besides, it hurt Grandma's feelings."
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