Amid all the humour of the circumstances Peggy and I snuffed tragedy compounded with the humour . Mr. Malcolm MacPherson could never be trained to old-maidishness , and even Aunt Olivia seemed to realize this . He never stopped to clear his boots when he came in , although she had an ostentatiously new scraper put at each door for his benefit . He seldom moved in the house without knocking some of Aunt Olivia 's treasures over . He smoked cigars in her parlour and scattered the ashes over the floor . He brought her flowers every day and stuck them into whatever receptacle came handiest . He sat on her cushions and rolled her antimacassars up into balls . He put his feet on her chair rungs -- and all with the most distracting unconsciousness of doing anything out of the way . He never noticed Aunt Olivia 's fluttering nervousness at all . Peggy and I laughed more than was good for us those days . It was so funny to see Aunt Olivia hovering anxiously around , picking up flower stems , and smoothing out tidies , and generally following him about to straighten out things . Once she even got a wing and dustpan and swept the cigar ashes under his very eyes . `` Now do n't be worrying yourself over that , Nillie , '' he protested . `` Why , I do n't mind a litter , bless you ! '' How good and jolly he was , that Mr. Malcolm MacPherson ! Such songs as he sang , such stories as he told , such a breezy , unconventional atmosphere as he brought into that prim little house , where stagnant dullness had reigned for years ! He worshipped Aunt Olivia , and his worship took the concrete form of presents galore . He brought her a present almost every visit -- generally some article of jewelry . Bracelets , rings , chains , ear-drops , lockets , bangles , were showered upon our precise little aunt ; she accepted them deprecatingly , but never wore them . This hurt him a little , but she assured him she would wear them all sometimes .
`` I am not used XXXXX jewelry , Mr. MacPherson , '' she would tell him .
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