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lingeringly。 

     〃Are you a schoolteacher; Emily?〃 he said。 

     〃Kindergarten。       It's my first year。     And don't call me Emily; please。〃 



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     〃Why   not?       It's   your   name。     I   think   it's   the   prettiest   name   in   the 

world。〃   Which   he   hadn't   meant   to   say   at   all。    In   fact;   he   was   perfectly 

aghast to find himself saying it。           But he meant it。 

     At   supper   he   passed   her   things;   and   stared;   until   everybody   laughed 

again; and Eva said acidly; 〃Why don't you feed her?〃 

     It   wasn't   that   Emily   had   an   air   of   helplessness。   She   just   made   him 

feel he wanted her to be helpless; so that he could help her。 

     Jo took her home; and from that Sunday night he began to strain at the 

leash。     He   took   his   sisters   out;   dutifully;   but   he   would   suggest;   with   a 

carelessness that deceived no one; 〃Don't you want one of your girl friends 

to   come   along?       That   little   What's…her…name…Emily;   or   something。            So 

long's I've got three of you; I might as well have a full squad。〃 

     For   a   long   time   he   didn't   know   what   was   the   matter   with   him。    He 

only knew he was miserable; and yet happy。                  Sometimes his heart seemed 

to ache with an actual physical ache。                He realized that he wanted to do 

things   for   Emily。     He   wanted   to   buy   things   for   Emilyuseless;   pretty; 

expensive things that he couldn't afford。 

     He wanted to buy everything that Emily needed; and everything that 

Emily desired。        He wanted to marry Emily。 That was it。                  He discovered 

that   one   day;   with   a   shock;   in   the   midst   of   a   transaction   in   the   harness 

business。      He   stared   at   the   man   with   whom   he   was   dealing   until   that 

startled     person     grew     uncomfortable。          〃What's      the    matter;    Hertz?〃 

〃Matter?〃       〃You look as if you'd seen a ghost or found a gold mine。                        I 

don't   know   which。〃        〃Gold   mine;〃   said   Jo。      And   then;   〃No。      Ghost。〃 

For    he   remembered        that  high;   thin   voice;   and    his  promise。      And     the 

harness   business   was   slithering   downhill   with   dreadful   rapidity;   as   the 

automobile business began its amazing climb。                   Jo tried to stop it。     But he 

was not that kind of businessman。               It never occurred to him to jump out 

of   the   down…going   vehicle   and   catch   the   up…going   one。         He   stayed   on; 

vainly     applying     brakes     that  refused     to  work。     〃You      know;    Emily;     I 

couldn't   support   two   households   now。          Not   the   way   things   are。    But   if 

you'll    wait。    If   you'll   only   wait。    The    girls   mightthat     is;  Babe    and 

Carrie〃 

     She was a sensible little thing; Emily。              〃Of course I'll wait。        But we 



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mustn't just sit back and let the years go by。           We've got to help。〃 

     She went about it as if she were already a little matchmaking matron。 

She   corralled   all   the   men   she   had   ever   known   and   introduced   them   to 

Babe;   Carrie;   and   Eva   separately;   in   pairs;   and   en   masse。    She   got   up 

picnics。 She stayed home while Jo took the three about。                    When she was 

present she tried to look as plain and obscure as possible; so that the sisters 

should show up to advantage。             She schemed; and planned; and contrived; 

and hoped; and smiled into Jo's despairing eyes。 

     And three years went by。            Three precious years。         Carrie still taught 

school;   and   hated   it。   Eva   kept   house   more   and   more   complainingly   as 

prices advanced and allowance retreated。               Stell was still Babe; the family 

beauty。     Emily's hair; somehow; lost its glint and began to look just plain 

brown。      Her crinkliness began to iron out。 

     〃Now;   look   here!〃   Jo   argued;   desperately;   one   night。     〃We   could   be 

happy;   anyway。       There's   plenty   of   room   at   the   house。    Lots   of   people 

begin   that   way。    Of   course;   I   couldn't   give   you   all   I'd   like   to;   at   first。 

But   maybe;      after  a   while〃    No   dreams      of  salons;   and   brocade;    and 

velvet…footed servitors; and satin damask now。                 Just two rooms; all their 

own;   all   alone;   and   Emily   to   work   for。    That   was   his   dream。     But   it 

seemed less possible than that other absurd one had been。 

     Emily was as practical a little thing as she looked fluffy。                 She knew 

women。       Especially did she know Eva; and Carrie; and Babe。                   She tried 

to   imagine     herself   taking   the   household     affairs   and   the   housekeeping 

pocket…   book   out   of   Eva's   expert   hands。      So   then   she   tried   to   picture 

herself allowing   the  reins of   Jo's   house to   remain in   Eva's hands。           And 

everything feminine and normal in her rebelled。                 Emily knew she'd want 

to   put   away   her   own   freshly   laundered   linen;   and   smooth   it;   and   pat   it。 

She    was    that  kind   of   woman。      She    knew     she'd  want    to  do   her   own 

delightful   haggling   with   butcher   and   grocer。        She   knew   she'd   want   to 

muss Jo's hair; and sit on his knee; and even quarrel with him; if necessary; 

without the awareness of three ever…present pairs of maiden eyes and ears。 

     〃No!     No!      We'd only  be   miserable。        I know。      Even   if   they  didn't 

object。 And they would; Jo。          Wouldn't they?〃 

     His silence was miserable assent。            Then; 〃But you do love me。            don't 



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you; Emily?〃 

     〃I do; Jo。    I love youand love youand love you。           But; Jo; Ican't。〃 

     〃I know it; dear。     I knew it all the time; really。      I just thought; maybe; 

somehow〃 

     The two sat staring for a moment into space; their hands clasped。 

     Then   they  both   shut   their   eyes   with   a   little   shudder;   as   though   what 

they saw was terrible to look upon。           Emily's hand; the tiny hand that was 

so unexpectedly firm; tightened its hold on his; and his crushed the absurd 

fingers until she winced with pain。 

     That was the beginning of the end; and they knew it。 

     Emily wasn't the kind of girl who would be left to pine。                 There are 

too many Jos in the world whose hearts are prone to lurch and then thump 

at the feel of a soft; fluttering; incredibly small hand in their grip。              One 

year later Emily was married to a young man whose father owned a large; 

pie… shaped slice of the prosperous state of Michigan。 

     That     being    safely   accomplished;       there    was    something      grimly 

humorous in the trend taken by affairs in the old house on Calumet。                   For 

Eva   married。     Married   well;  too; though   he   was   a great   deal older   than 

she。    She went off in a hat she had copied from a French model at Field's; 

and a suit she had contrived with a home dressmaker; aided by pressing on 

the part of the little tailor in the basement over on Thirty…first Street。              It 

was the last of that; though。       The next time they saw her; she had on a hat 

that   even   she   would   have   despaired   of   copying;   and   a   suit   that   sort   of 

melted into your gaze。        She moved to the North Side (trust Eva for that); 

and Babe assumed the management of the household on Calumet Avenue。 

It   was   rather   a   pinched   little   household   now;   for   the   harness   business 

shrank and shrank。 

     〃I don't see how you can expect me to keep house decently on this!〃 

Babe would say contemptuously。             Babe's nose; always a little inclined to 

sharpness; had whittled down to a point of late。             〃If you knew what Ben 

gives Eva。〃 

     〃It's the best I can do; Sis。     Business is something rotten。〃 

     〃Ben says if you had the least bit of〃         Ben was Eva's husband; and 

quotable; as are all successful men。 



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     〃I   don't   care   what   Ben   says;〃   shouted   Jo;   goaded   into   rage

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