第42章

Noonedidforseveralmonths，buttheword`fete’alwaysproducedageneralsmile，andLaurie’sbirthdaygifttoAmywasatinycorallobsterintheshapeofacharmforherwatchguard。

Chapter27CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN

FortunesuddenlysmileduponJo，anddroppedagoodluckpennyinherpath。Notagoldenpenny，exactly，butIdoubtifhalfamillionwouldhavegivenmorerealhappinessthendidthelittlesumthatcametoherinthiswise。

Everyfewweeksshewouldshutherselfupinherroom，putonherscribblingsuit，and`fallintoavortex’，assheexpressedit，writingawayathernovelwithallherheartandsoul，fortillthatwasfinishedshecouldfindnopeace。Her`scribblingsuit’

consistedofablackwoolenpinaforeonwhichshecouldwipeherpenatwill，andacapofthesamematerial，adornedwithacheerfulredbow，intowhichshebundledherhairwhenthedeckswereclearedforaction。Thiscapwasabeacontotheinquiringeyesofherfamily，whoduringtheseperiodskepttheirdistance，merelypoppingintheirheadssemi-occasionallytoask，withinterest，“Doesgeniusburn，Jo？“Theydidnotalwaysventureeventoaskthisquestion，buttookanobservationofthecap，andjudgedaccordingly。Ifthisexpressivearticleofdresswasdrawnlowupontheforehead，itwasasignthathardworkwasgoingon，inexcitingmomentsitwaspushedrakishlyaskew，andwhendespairseizedtheauthoritwaspluckedwhollyoff，andcastuponthefloor，andcastuponthefloor。Atsuchtimestheintrudersilentlywithdrew，andnotuntiltheredbowwasseengailyerectuponthegiftedbrow，didanyonedareaddressJo。

Shedidnotthinkherselfageniusbyanymeans，butwhenthewritingfitcameon，shegaveherselfuptoitwithentireabandon，andledablissfullife，unconsciousofwant，care，orbadweather，whileshesatsafeandhappyinanimaginaryworld，fulloffriendsalmostasrealanddeartoherasanyintheflesh。Sleepforsookhereyes，mealsstooduntasted，dayandnightwerealltooshorttoenjoythehappinesswhichblessedheronlyatsuchtimes，andmadethesehoursworthliving，eveniftheyborenootherfruit。Thedevineafflatususuallylastedaweekortwo，andthensheemergedfromher`vortex’，hungry，sleepy，cross，ordespondent。

ShewasjustrecoveringfromoneoftheseattackswhenshewasprevailedupontoescortMissCrockertoalecture，andinreturnforhervirtuewasrewardedwithanewidea。ItwasaPeople’sCourse，thelectureonthePyramids，andJoratherwonderedatthechoiceofsuchasubjectforsuchanaudience，buttookitforgrantedthatsomegreatsocialevilwouldberemediedorsomegreatwantsuppliedbyunfoldingthegloriesofthePharaohstoanaudiencewhosethoughtswerebusywiththepriceofcoalandflour，andwhoseliveswerespentintryingtosolveharderriddlesthanthatoftheSphinx。

Theywereearly，andwhileMissCrockersettheheelofherstocking，Joamusedherselfbyexaminingthefacesofthepeoplewhooccupiedtheseatwiththem。Onherleftweretwomatrons，withmassiveforeheadsandbonnetstomatch，discussingWomen’sRightsandmakingtatting。Beyondsatapairofhumblelovers，artlesslyholdingeachotherbythehand，asomberspinstereatingpeppermintsoutofapaperbag，andanoldgentlemantakinghispreparatorynapbehindayellowbandanna。Onherright，heronlyneighborwasastudiouslookingladabsorbedinanewspaper。

Itwasapictorialsheet，andJoexaminedtheworkofartnearesther，idlywonderingwhatfortuitousconcatenationofcircumstancesneededthemelodramaticillustrationofanIndianinfullwarcostume，tumblingoveraprecipicewithawolfathisthroat，whiletwoinfuriatedyounggentlemen，withunnaturallysmallfeetandbigeyes，werestabbingeachothercloseby，andadisheveledfemalewasflyingawayinthebackgroundwithhermouthwideopen。Pausingtoturnapage，theladsawherlookingand，withboyishgoodnatureofferedhalfhispaper，sayingbluntly，“wanttoreadit？That’safirst-ratestory。“

Joaccepteditwithasmile，forshehadneveroutgrownherlikingforlads，andsoonfoundherselfinvolvedintheusuallabyrinthoflove，mystery，andmurder，forthestorybelongedtothatclassoflightliteratureinwhichthepassionshaveaholiday，andwhentheauthor’sinventionfails，agrandcatastropheclearsthestageofonehalfthedramatispersonae，leavingtheotherhalftoexultovertheirdownfall。

“Prime，isn’tit？“askedtheboy，ashereyewentdownthelastparagraphofherportion。

“IthinkyouandIcoulddoaswellasthatifwetried，“

returnedJo，amusedathisadmirationofthetrash。

“IshouldthinkIwasaprettyluckychapifIcould。Shemakesagoodlivingoutofsuchstories，theysay。“AndhepointedtothenameofMrs。S。L。A。N。G。Northbury，underthetitleofthetale。

“Doyouknowher？“askedJo，withsuddeninterest。

“No，butIreadallherpi