The Project Gutenberg EBook of Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby and Other Stories, by
Kathleen Norris

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby and Other Stories

Author: Kathleen Norris

Posting Date: August 11, 2009 [EBook #4348]
Release Date: August, 2003
First Posted: January 12, 2002

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK POOR, DEAR MARGARET KIRBY ***

Produced by Steve Harris, Charles Franks and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team. HTML version by Al Haines.

THE WORKS OF KATHLEEN NORRIS

POOR, DEAR MARGARET KIRBY AND OTHER STORIES

VOLUME III

This book is Jim's,--this page shall bear
Its witness to my love for him.
Best of small brothers anywhere,
Who would not do as much for Jim?

CONTENTS

POOR, DEAR MARGARET KIRBY
BRIDGING THE YEARS
THE TIDE-MARSH
WHAT HAPPENED TO ALANNA
THE FRIENDSHIP OF ALANNA
"S IS FOR SHIFTLESS SUSANNA"
THE LAST CAROLAN
MAKING ALLOWANCES FOR MAMMA
THE MEASURE OF MARGARET COPPERED
MISS MIX, KIDNAPPER
SHANDON WATERS
GAYLEY THE TROUBADOUR
DR. BATES AND MISS SALLY
THE GAY DECEIVER
THE RAINBOW'S END
ROSEMARY'S STEPMOTHER
AUSTIN'S GIRL
RISING WATER

POOR, DEAR MARGARET KIRBY

I

"You and I have been married nearly seven years," Margaret Kirby
reflected bitterly, "and I suppose we are as near hating each other as
two civilized people ever were!"

She did not say it aloud. The Kirbys had long ago given up any
discussion of their attitude to each other. But as the thought came
into her mind she eyed her husband--lounging moodily in her motor-car,
as they swept home through the winter twilight--with hopeless, mutinous
irritation.

What was the matter, she wondered, with John and Margaret Kirby--young,
handsome, rich, and popular? What had been wrong with their marriage,
that brilliantly heralded and widely advertised event? Whose fault was
it that they two could not seem to understand each other, could not
seem to live out their lives together in honorable and dignified
companionship, as generations of their forebears had done?

"Perhaps