Dear Enemy

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heart is through praise of her children, and he had nothing but praise for all
107 of mine. Even in the case of Loretta Higgins he found something
pleasant to say. He thinks it nice that she isn't cross-eyed.
He went shopping with me in the village this afternoon, and was very
helpful about picking out hair-ribbons for a couple of dozen little girls. He
begged to choose Sadie Kate's himself, and after many hesitations he hit
upon orange satin for one braid and emerald green for the other.
While we were immersed in this business I became aware of a neighboring
customer, ostensibly engaged with hooks and eyes, but straining every ear
to listen to our nonsense.
She was so dressed up in a picture hat, a spotted veil, a feather boa, and a
NOUVEAU ART parasol that I never dreamed she was any acquaintance
of mine till I happened to catch her eye with a familiar malicious gleam in
it. She bowed stiffly, and disapprovingly; and I nodded back. Mrs. Maggie
McGurk in her company clothes!
That is a pleasanter expression than she really has. Her smile is due to a slip
of the pen.
Poor Mrs. McGurk can't understand any possible intellectual interest in a
man. She suspects me of wanting to marry every single one that I meet. At
first she thought I wanted to snatch away her doctor; but now, after seeing
me with Gordon, she considers me a bigamous monster who wants them
both.
Information prepared by the Project Gutenberg legal advisor 148
Good-by; some guests approach.
11:30 P.M.
I have just been giving a dinner for Gordon, with Betsy and Mrs. Livermore
and Mr. Witherspoon as guests. I graciously included the doctor, but he
curtly declined on the ground that he wasn't in a social mood. Our Sandy
does not let politeness interfere with truth!
There is no doubt about it, Gordon is the most presentable man that ever
breathed. He is so good looking and easy and gracious and witty, and his
manners are so impeccable--Oh, he would make a wonderfully decorative
husband! But after all, I suppose you do live with a husband. You don't just
show him off at dinners and teas.
He was exceptionally nice tonight. Betsy and Mrs. Livermore both fell in
love with him--and I just a trifle. He entertained us with a speech in his
best public manner, apropos of Java's welfare. We have been having a
dreadful time finding a sleeping place for that monkey, and Gordon proved
with incontestable logic that, since he was presented to us by Jimmie, and
Jimmie is Percy's friend, he should sleep with Percy. Gordon is a natural
talker, and an audience affects him like champagne. He can argue with us
much emotional earnestness on the subject of a monkey as on the greatest
hero that ever bled for his country.
I felt tears coming to my eyes when he described Java's loneliness as he
watched out the night in our furnace cellar, and pictured his brothers at play
in the far-off tropical jungle.
A man who can talk like that has a future before him. I haven't a doubt but
that I shall be voting for him for President in another twenty years.
We all had a beautiful time, and entirely forgot--for a space of three
hours--that 107 orphans slumbered about us. Much as I love the little
dears, it is pleasant to get away from them once in a while.
Information prepared by the Project Gutenberg legal advisor 149
My guests left at ten, and it must be midnight by now. (This is the eighth
day, and my clock has stopped again; Jane forgets to wind it as regularly as
Friday comes around.) However, I know it's late; and as a woman, it's my
duty to try for beauty sleep, especially with an eligible young suitor at
hand.
I'll finish tomorrow. Good night.
Saturday.
Gordon spent this morning playing with my asylum and planning some
intelligent presents to be sent later. He thinks that three neatly painted
totem poles would add to the attractiveness of our Indian camps. He is also
going to make us a present of three dozen pink rompers for the babies. Pink
is a color that is very popular with the superintendent of this asylum, who is
deadly tired of blue! Our generous friend is likewise amusing himself with
the idea of a couple of donkeys and saddles and a little red cart. Isn't it nice
that Gordon's father provided for him so amply, and that he is such a
charitably inclined young man? He is at present lunching with Percy at the
hotel, and, I trust, imbibing fresh ideas in the field of philanthropy.
Perhaps you think I haven't enjoyed this interruption to the monotony of
institution life! You can say all you please, my dear Mrs. Pendleton, about
how well I am managing your asylum, but, just the same, it isn't natural for
me to be so stationary. I very frequently need a change. That is why
Gordon, with his bubbling optimism and boyish spirits, is so exhilarating
especially as a contrast to too much doctor.
Sunday morning.
I must tell you the end of Gordon's visit. His intention had been to leave at
four, but in an evil moment I begged him to stay over till 9:30, and
yesterday afternoon he and Singapore and I took a long 'cross-country
walk, far out of sight of the towers of this asylum, and stopped at a pretty
little roadside inn, where we had a satisfying supper of ham and eggs and
cabbage. Sing stuffed so disgracefully that he has been languid ever since.
Information prepared by the Project Gutenberg legal advisor 150
The walk and all was fun, and a very grateful change from this monotonous
life I lead. It would have kept me pleasant and contented for weeks if
something most unpleasant hadn't happened later. We had a beautiful,
sunny, carefree afternoon, and I'm sorry to have had it spoiled. We came
back very unromantically in the trolley car, and reached the J. G. H. before
nine, just in good time for him to run on to the station and catch his train.
So I didn't ask him to come in, but politely wished him a pleasant journey
at the porte-cochere.
A car was standing at the side of the drive, in the shadow of the house. I
recognized it, and thought the doctor was inside with Mr. Witherspoon.
(They frequently spend their evenings together in the laboratory.) Well,
Gordon, at the moment of parting, was seized with an unfortunate impulse
to ask me to abandon the management of this asylum, and take over the
management of a private house instead.
Did you ever know anything like the man? He had the whole afternoon and
miles of empty meadow in which to discuss the question, but instead he
must choose our door mat!
I don't know just what I did say. I tried to turn it off lightly and hurry him to
his train. But he refused to be turned off lightly. He braced himself against
a post and insisted upon arguing it out. I knew that he was missing his train,
and that every window in this institution was open. A man never has the
slightest thought of possible overhearers. It is always the woman who
thinks of convention.
Being in a nervous twitter to get rid of him, I suppose I was pretty abrupt
and tactless. He began to get angry, and then by some unlucky chance his
eye fell on that car. He recognized it, too, and, being in a savage mood, he [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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