"MacAllister and I will carry you up to your room now, Miss Carroll,"
he said cheerily.
I felt very tired, very cross, and behaved, I'm afraid, like a
schoolgirl.
"If you'll get Doctor Mac and Father...."
He went quite white.
"Very well," he said stiffly, and turned away. I did not see him
again that day, or for several days thereafter.
I wonder if he really said that I "could for all of him?"
NEW YORK CITY
September 11th
Contrary Princess!
Do you think it kind of Your Royal Benevolence to write me the
most charming note in the world to thank me for my flowers, and
then to almost ruin it by a postscript, a scolding--dare I say,
nagging--postscript, in which you sternly forbid me to give
myself pleasure and send you "anything more, ever"! You are
an--an Indian _Receiver_, that's what you are! And I refuse to
have any dealings with your postscript! I will separate it
carefully from the rest of the letter, and consign it to candle
flame.
I am glad you enjoyed your lawn party. Sorry, though, that
anything should have happened during your At Home day to disturb
you. Although you do not tell me what it was, I have put two and
two together, made a hundred and six, and deducted that some
member of my blundering and heavy-footed sex stepped upon your
sensibilities. But I am sure you have forgiven him by
now--although far be it from me to hold any brief for an unknown
and hated rival!
Please, may I come to your next party? I am sure my mother would
be willing to chaperone me. I forwarded her your last note; it
was addressed to her and I did not dare keep it. But I read it
(yes, I did) and I do not notice that you scolded her about those
rose-grey bed socks! Indeed, you seemed very glad to have them.
She has been fretting, I know, that they were not finished
sooner, but she was called away, as no doubt she told you in her
letter, by an illness in the family.
My respects to Wiggles. I wonder if he is entirely cognizant of
his good fortune?
I have told you once that everything John Denton says of me is
false, unless it is particularly pleasant. And then it hardly
does me justice. Now, after my repeated demands, will you tell me
what he said?
Yours very truly,
RICHARD WARREN
P.S. I have found more in the business form of signature than I
had dreamed existed. Let me repeat it another way,
Very truly--yours,
R. W.
UNDER-THE-TREES
September 14th
Dear and Caviling Poet:
You deserved to be scolded. But we will say no more about it. And
I have decided to relent and tell you what Mr. John Denton said.
He said
That you were shy
That you were very blonde
That you were very impractical
That you were very generous
That you were an incorrigible dreamer
And that he thought you were in love!
What have you to reply to these six counts of his indictment?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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