MARION BERKLEY

A STORY FOR GIRLS

BY ELIZABETH B. COMINS

PHILADELPHIA
HENRY T. COATES & CO

TO
MY TWIN SISTERS
This Book
IS MOST AFFECTIONATELY
DEDICATED.

The Two Bouquets.

MARION BERKLEY.

CHAPTER I.

EN ROUTE FOR SCHOOL.

"Come on, Mab! the carriage is round; only fifteen minutes to get to thedepot."

"Yes, I am coming. O mamma! do fasten this carpet-bag for me. Dear me!there goes the button off my gloves. Was there ever any one in such aflutter?"

"Never mind, dear; it is too late to sew it on now. Here is your bag;come, we must not stop another moment; there is Fred calling again."

"I say, Mab," shouted the first speaker from the bottom of the stairs,"if you're coming, why don't you come? I shan't leave until you bid megood-by, and I know I shall lose the ball-match. You do keep a fellowwaiting so eternally long!"

His sister was downstairs, and had her arms around his neck before hehad finished speaking, and said to him, in a tone of mock gravity, "Now,Frederic, don't get excited; always follow my good example, and keepcool. There now!" she exclaimed, as she gave him a hearty kiss; "beoff. I forgot all about your ball-match, and all the amends I can makeis to hope the Isthmians will beat the Olympics all to pieces."

"Come, come," called Mrs. Berkley from the inside of the carriage, "wehave not a moment to lose."

"Good-by, Hannah. One more kiss for Mab, Charlie. Good-by, all;" then tothe coachman, as she whisked into the carriage, "Drive on, John, just asfast as you can."

The carriage-door was shut with a snap; off went the horses, and Mrs.Berkley and her daughter were soon at the Western depot, where thelatter was to take the cars for B——, a little New England town, whereshe attended boarding-school. They were very late at the depot, and Mrs.Berkley had only time for a fond kiss and a "Write often, darling," whenthe bell rung, and she was forced to leave the car, feeling a littleuneasy that her daughter was obliged to take her journey alone. Just asthe cars were starting, Marion put her head out of a window, and calledto her mother, "O mamma! Flo is here; isn't that jolly? No fear nowof—" The last part of the sentence was unintelligible, and all Mrs.Berkley got was a bright smile, and a wave of the hand, as the trainmoved out of the depot.

"Now, Flo, I call this providential," exclaimed Marion; "for, I can tellyou, I did not relish the prospect of my solitary ride. Just hand meyour bag, and I'll put it in the rack with my budgets. This seat isempty; suppose we turn it over, and then we shall be perfectlycomfortable. Now I say this is decidedly scrumptious;" and she settledherself back, with a sigh of satisfaction.

"Why, Mab, what made you so late? I had been here fifteen minutes beforeyou came, all on the qui vive, hoping to see some one I knew; but Inever dreamed you would be here. I thought you were going up yesterdaywith the Thayers."

"I did intend to; but Fred had a sort of spread last night for

...