Read Because of Stephen for Free Online

friends who sometimes congregated with them, and saw no good in any.
    Still, there was Margaret Halstead. She seemed a fitting one to place amid beauty and joyous surroundings. She would not mar a scene like that this morning with anything her heart or life contained.
    Yes, there was Margaret. But it might be only seeming. Perhaps she was like them all. Doubtless she was. It remained to be seen what Margaret really was. But what were they all made for, anyway?
    The old question had troubled Philip for a long, lonely time; and he drew his brows in an unhappy frown as he came to a halt at the only home he now owned.
     

Chapter 4
    When Margaret Halstead came to the door a little later to view the morning and look by daylight upon the new land into which she had come a stranger and a pilgrim, she still carried with her the atmosphere of her East ern home. She had changed the long, dark, close-fitting travelling-gown of the night be fore to a simple gown of light percale which she had wisely brought in her hand-baggage; and, though the garment was plain and of walking len gth, and must have occupied littl e space in the satchel, it hung with a grace and finish unknown in those parts; and there was still about her as she moved that soft atmo sphere of refinement.
    She opened the door wide, and stood for a moment enframed . The dark, big-boned creature who was huddled on the steps sprang up and gazed at her in wonder. Her eyes had never met a sight like this before. The golden hair, touched with the sunshine into finer threads of spun glass, the blue eyes like rare stones that hold the colors of a summer night, the fair face, the pleasant mouth, the graceful form in the soft blue cotton gown, made a picture for which an angel might have sat.
    Margar et looked at the woman in amaze ment, and then at the dirty bundle that lay upon the steps at her feet.
    "Who are you?" she asked after a moment of silent scrutiny between the two.
    "Man come get. Say heap work. Man say big pay"
    "O, my brother has been after you. I see. He brought you here this morning before I was awake. That was kind of him. And I thought he was asleep yet."
    She was t hinking aloud rather than speak ing to the woman. Philip, coming around the corner of the house, heard and halted, and his lips settled sternly. A curious expression crossed his face, and then he turned and went back to the other side of the house without being seen . Let her suppose this was the work of her brother if she would. It ought to have been. It was as well she should think so.
    But Marga ret was grappling with the prob lem of breakfast, with the addition of this unknown quantity who had come to assist her. Would it be possible for those grimy, greasy hands ever to be clean enough to touch food that was to be eaten by them?
    She hit upon the plan, however, of setting the new comer at some much-needed scrub bing about the doors and windows until they should have breakfast out of the way, and she drew a sigh of relief as she looked about the one living-room and noted how large it was. The woman would not have to be in too close proximity to them while they ate. That was one thing to be thankful for .
    She smiled to herself as she hastily laid the table. It was nice of Stephen to go out so early in the morning and get a woman to help. It was dear of Stephen! He was going to justify her utmost ideal of him, she felt sure.
    They all felt a strain of embarrassment over them during b reakfast. The morning light dis played the cr udities of the rude home. Marga ret's beauty showed in stronger contrast as she moved about in her dainty blue and white, and seemed some rare bird of paradise dropped into their midst. The two young men in their dark flannel shirts felt ill at ease. They were all facing the problem of what was to be done next.
    Margaret felt that the crucial moment for the desire of her heart was coming, and she must walk carefully. She realized, more than did they, the changes it would