MARJORIE awoke the next morning with a very heavy heart. Although
Elsie's companionship had not proved quite all she had anticipated,
still they had hitherto been perfectly good friends. Marjorie had looked
upon her clever cousin with genuine admiration, and if in some things
Elsie had disappointed her, she had explained the fact to herself by
remembering how different life in New York was from life in Arizona.
"Elsie has so many friends," she had told herself over and over again;
"of course I can't expect her to be as fond of me as I am of her."
But last night's discovery had been a cruel disappointment, and her
cousin's parting words had hurt more than perhaps Elsie herself fully
realized. She had lain awake a long time, hoping--almost expecting--that
Elsie would come back to tell her she was sorry. She was so ready to
forgive, herself, and even to make allowances, but no sound had come
from the adjoining room, and she had fallen asleep at last, still
hoping that morning might bring about the longed-for reconciliation.
It was still very early, but accustomed all her life to the early hours
of the ranch, she had not yet learned to sleep as late as the other
members of the family. She tossed about in bed for half an hour, vainly
trying to go to sleep again, and then suddenly determined to get up.
"If I could only have a canter on Roland, or a good long tramp before
breakfast," she thought, with a regretful sigh, "I know it would clear
the cobwebs from my brain, and I should feel ever so much better. But
since that is out of the question, I may as well answer Undine's letter.
She will like a letter all to herself, and I shall have plenty of time
to write before the others are up."
Accordingly, as soon as she was dressed, she sat down at her desk, and
began a letter, which she was determined to make as bright and cheerful
as possible.
"NEW YORK, November 28th.
"DEAR UNDINE:
"I was delighted to get your nice letter last
week, but this is the very first spare moment I
have had in which to answer it. It is still very
early--only a little after six--and nobody else is
up, but I can't get accustomed to the queer New
York hours. Just think, nobody has breakfast much
before half past eight, and instead of dinner at
twelve or one, we don't dine till half past seven.
I thought I should be dreadfully hungry when I
first heard at what hour New York people dined,
but really luncheon--which they have in the middle
of the day--is almost the same as dinner. I have
eaten so much since I came here that I am sure I
must have gained pounds already.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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