MARJORIES VICTORY

New Zealand Tablet, 12 August 1909, Page 1277

MARJORIES VICTORY

' Uncle Howard,' asked Marjorie, looking up from the book she was reading, 'what is a coincidence?' ' Let me see,' replied Uncle Howard, trying to think how to make a simple definition. ' When two things happen at "the same time that have nothing to do with each other, but seem to have a great deal to do with each other, we call it a coincidence.' Seeing that Marjorie still looked puzzled, he started to explain further when a telephone message called him away. As he took down his hat in the hall, however, he paused long enough to say, ' I'll look out for a first rate coincidence to show you, Marjorie, and then you'll understand better.' The next day happened to be Friday, and because there was no one to drive Marjorie to school and because ske was not able to walk so far she was obliged to remain at home; Mamma and XJiicle Howard were very sorry, and they all thought of two shining gold pieces in Marjories bank that meant two "whole years without absence and of the third that was to Jiave joined them so soon, for Great Aunt Morton, who lived in the big house on the hill, had laughingly told, Marjorie the very first day she went to school that she should have a five-dollar gold piece at the end of each year that she was neither absent nor tardy. But the gold piece was as nothing compared -with the broken record, and Marjorie sobbed for a few minutes; then, like the brave little girl that she was, she -dried her tears, got out her paint-box, and began, coloring up some sQnhonnet babies for the other children. When she went to school on Monday morning everybody was talking about the fire that had occurred the Friday before, and', to her relief, nobody said anything to her about her absence. She said to herself that she just could not have stood it if anybody had. Two weeks later the monthly report cards were given out- Marjorie received hers with a* sad heart as she thought of the bVoken record. But as she glanced over the card something witkin her gave a great leap. Could she believe her own eyes? There - were no marks in the absence column ! The teacher must have made a mistake. Mamma and Uncle. Howard looked the card over, and said they were glad Marjorie had gone from 'G ' to ' G plus ' in her reading, but neither of them thought of the omission. Then came a great temptation to Marjorie. If she should say nothing about the mistake the record would remain as it was, and the teacher and pupils would forget by next year, and Great Aunt Morton need never know. So the report card was returned to the teacher without anything being said. All the next week Marjorie struggled with the temptation. She seemed unlike herself. Friday came again, the last day of school. Summoning al\ her courage, Bhe came back into the schoolroom at recess " after f the others we.re all out and sobbed out her story to her teacher. ' '*• 'So you thought I made a mistake, did you?' asked the teacher. 'I'm- so glad you told me, because I can assure you that you are the one who has made a mistake. That day was a very cold one, you remember, and something broke about the furnace early in the morning, so we couldn't have school that day. We sent word to all whom we could reach easily and dismissed the others as soon as they came. You live so far away we could not notify you.

I'm sorry this has troubled you so much. You should have told your mother or me sooner.' Marjorie ran around to Great Aunt Morton's^ after school with her report card, and then fairly flew home xo tell her story to mamma and Uncle Howard. ' That's what I call the happiest kind of a coincidence, 1 said. Uncle Howard as he heard the five-dollar gold pieco rattle down with its mates. ' v Now you know the meaning of the word.' ' I call it a great victory,' said mamma, thinking of something quite different. But Marjorie understood both.