Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Novelists -- Fiction; Secretaries -- Fiction; Voyages and travels -- Fiction; West Indies -- Fiction
"No, I make an exception of Eggert. But Wesson--I simply can't have him
here. Either he must go, or I shall."
We had passed the coffee hour, forgetting it in the pleasure of the bath
and the labor of dressing. The regular breakfast was now announced. I
determined to be as agreeable to Wesson as I could, but I did not think
Eggert need to have placed him on the other side of Marjorie, next to
her. Still, how was he to know?
"I have been talking with our host about coming out here for awhile,"
said Wesson, as we were breakfasting. "It is ever so much pleasanter
than in the town."
He must have seen, in spite of my efforts, that I did not enthuse over
the idea, for all I could say was "Ah," and wait for him to proceed.
"I hardly think I will do it, though," Wesson went on to say, eyeing me
narrowly. "I have a very comfortable room at the hotel. If you don't
mind my coming out for a stroll occasionally"--he looked alternately at
Miss May and at me--"I think it would help me get over my lonesomeness."
Marjorie did not wait to consult me, but said she was sure he would
always be welcome. She added that some literary work she and I had to do
would keep us very busy for the present. To my joy, Wesson settled his
plans on the spot, as he had outlined them. We were to be left alone,
after all.
Soon after rising from the table Wesson started back to town. I hoped as
I saw his form disappear that he did not think I had been discourteous
in not endorsing his scheme to make my life a burden.
"Now," said Marjorie, brightly, as he vanished through the gate, "let us
get to work. You can't imagine how happy I shall be to find myself of
use after this long vacation."
I got out the memoranda required, from the bottom of a trunk, and
arranged the writing machine on a little "dressmaker's table" which I
had brought, folded up in a tray. It was exactly the right height, and
took up hardly more room than a chess board--I mean the table, of
course. For an hour I tried to put the genealogy in shape, and then
threw it up with an exclamation of disgust.
"Confound the thing! I'm going to drop it for to-day," I said. "It's
dryer than dust."
Marjorie obediently put away the machine at my suggestion, saying that
perhaps we would begin again after lunch. I told her that the next three
hours after lunch were sacred to Morpheus, and that we were now in a
region where it was impossible to resist the drowsy god with impunity.
We drew our rocking chairs together and talked, and I was very happy.
Sometimes I took one of her hands in mine. It was very sweet to have her
there.
"It is going to be dull for you," I suggested, after a time. "Whenever
you can bear it no longer say so, and we will move on."
"I am in your employ," she answered, "and shall stay or go, as you bid
me."
"Marjorie," I exclaimed, suddenly, "have you ever been in love?"
"I would rather talk on some other subject," she replied, soberly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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