Carolyn Wells

“ Accustomed to depend upon her husband in any emergency, she felt quite unable to meet this situation.
"And there is danger of these two girls having diphtheria?" she said, in a scared voice, as if anxious to know the worst at once.
"There is grave danger, Mrs. Spencer, for all in the house. But we will hope by careful treatment to avoid that. The quarantine, however, is imperative. You must not let your servants or your family go out into the street, nor must you allow any one except myself to come in."
"Oh, Doctor Mendel," cried Marjorie, "how can I see Mother?" ”

“ At last, overcoming her embarrassment, Marjorie said, "Was it you who telephoned?" A sudden wave of red flooded Delight's pale cheeks, and she answered:
"Yes, it was. I have a cold, and can't go out of my room,—and mother is out,—and—and I was awfully lonesome, so I played I was Cinderella. And then I just happened to think I'd telephone you—just for fun—"
"Have you a stepmother? Is she cruel to you?"
"Mercy, no! Mother is the dearest thing in the world, and she adores me,—spoils me, in fact. She's gone out now to get me some things to make valentines with. ”

“ But Glad is my chum, my intimate friend, and we always sit together in school, and everything like that. Kitty's in another room, and besides, she has Dorothy Adams for her friend. You know the difference between friends and sisters, don't you, Mother?"
"Of course I do, Midget, dear. You and Kitty are two loving little sisters, but I quite understand how you each love your friends of your own age."
"And Kitty can keep Dorothy, but I must lose Gladys," and Marjorie's sobs broke out anew.
"Why, Mopsy Midget Maynard! Why are we having April showers in January?" ”

“ What does it make you think of?"
"A princess," said Kitty, whose imagination Was always in fine working order; "one who always wears light blue velvet robes, and eats off of gold dishes."
"Yes," agreed Marjorie, falling in with the game, "and she has white doves fluttering about, and black slaves to bow before her."
"No, not black slaves; they're for princesses named Ermengarde or Fantasmagoria." Kitty was not always particular about any authority for names, if they sounded well. "A princess named Delight would have handmaidens,—fair-haired ones, with soft trailing white robes." ”

“ After luncheon the next day, Marjorie got ready to go to spend the afternoon with Delight.
She wore her new plaid dress trimmed with black velvet and gilt buttons, and as red was the prevailing color in the plaid, her dark curls were tied up with a big red bow.
Very pretty she looked as she came for her mother's inspection.
"Am I all right, Mother?"
"Yes, Midget mine; you look as spick and span as a nice little Queen of Sheba. Now don't slide down the banisters, or do anything hoydenish. Try to behave more as Delight does." ”

“ Spencer turned back the folded blanket, and disclosed four roly-poly kittens all cuddled into one heap of fur.
"Oh!" cried Delight, "did you ever see anything so lovely! Midget, I'm so glad you killed the goldfish! These are a million times nicer."
"But you could have had these too," said Marjorie; "and anyway, I'll probably put these in the aquarium and drown them, by mistake!"
"Indeed you won't!" said Delight, cuddling the little balls of fur. "Oh,
Mother, aren't they dear?"
"They are very cunning," answered Mrs. Spencer, "and I'm glad you have them. Though four seems a good many. ”

“ This was a good idea, and then they took all the pretty ornaments into the library and set them around on tables.
"It's like Christmas," said Delight, with a little sigh of happiness. "I do love pretty things."
"Then you ought to be happy now," said Miss Hart, "for I never saw such an array of favors."
And indeed the room looked like a valentine shop, with its flowers and gifts and cupids and valentines, and the big heart standing in front of the mantel. ”

“ Well, Marjorie, I'll tell you. In the first place, you mustn't take it so seriously. Friendships among children are very apt to change when one moves away and another comes. Now both these little girls are your good friends, but it stands to reason that the one you're with every day should be nearer and dearer than one who lives thousands of miles away. So I want you to enjoy Delight's friendship, and consider her your dearest friend, if you choose, without feeling that you are disloyal to Gladys. ”

“ Marjorie, delighted to be in her own room once more, chattered rapidly, as she and Kitty dressed, and tied ribbons, and hooked waists for each other.
"Delight is an awfully nice girl, Kitsie," she was saying. "I didn't like her so much at first, but as we were together so much I grew to like her better."
"Is she as nice as Gladys?"
"In some ways she is. She's more fun than Glad about playing games. She loves to play pretend, and Gladys wasn't much good at that. But, of course, I'm more fond of Glad, she's my old friend. Delight is nice for a neighbor though." ”

“ By this time Delight's spirits had risen to such an extent that she exclaimed:
"I think it's splendid to have Marjorie here for two weeks!"
"We'll make a picnic of it," said Miss Hart. "You girls won't often have two weeks together, so we must cram all the pleasure into it we can."
Cramming pleasure into this dreadful time was a new idea to Delight, but she was willing to agree to it, and Marjorie said:
"I think we can be happy if we try. But we have to forget the bad parts and only remember the good." ”

“ King explained, "and
I can sort of feel the Indian part of it better if I wear some feathers."
"Come on and play," said Midget; "shall we play Indians?"
"No," said Kitty, promptly, "it's too rough and tumbly when we play it in the house. Let's play a pretend game."
"Aren't we going to have the Jinks Club any more?" asked Dorothy. "We haven't had it since the Fultons went away."
"Too few of us," said King; "we four, that's all."
"We might ask Delight to belong," said Marjorie, "she can cut up jinks when she feels like it." ”

“ Although the Spencers had never seen Doctor Mendel before, he was the Maynards' family physician, and he realized at once the great misfortune of Marjorie's presence in the infected house.
"Yes, I'm here," said Midget; "can't I go home?"
"No, child," said Doctor Mendel, gravely; "you cannot leave this house until all danger of infection is over. That will be two weeks at least, and perhaps more."
"And can't Mr. Spencer come home?" asked Mrs. Spencer.
"No; unless he stays here after he comes in. He can not go back and forth to New York every day." ”

“ As it turned out, they were to be kept as jewel boxes, or boxes for any little trinkets, but now they were filled with delicious bon-bons, the satin lining being protected by tinfoil and lace paper.
The table was laid for four, and at each place was a valentine.
Mrs. Spencer and Miss Hart took their seats, but, at first, the girls were too bewildered to understand.
"It's your party, Marjorie," said Miss Hart, smiling. "Your father and mother sent it all over,—everything, even the candles and flowers. All we've done is to arrange it on the table. So you must sit at the head, as you're hostess." ”

“ This dainty arrangement, on lace paper, was so pretty that Delight said it was too bad to disturb it.
"It's too good not to be disturbed," said Marjorie, and as it was really dinner time, and the girls were hungry, the lovely fruit course soon disappeared.
"This isn't dinner," said Mrs. Spencer, "it's a party supper. Your party, you know, Marjorie."
"Yes'm; I didn't see how Father could send me a party without people. But he did his part, didn't he?"
"Yes, indeed; and we're doing ours. We've all the people that we can have, and so we'll make the best of it." ”

“ If you girls agree, I'd like to build a snow fort. This is a jolly deep snow, the best we've had this winter, and likely the last we'll have. Father's a jim dandy at snow games, and we could have an out-of-door frolic in the morning, and then Glad's party in the house in the afternoon."
"Goody! I say yes to that," cried Midget.
"I too," said Gladys. "We don't have any snow in California, and I don't know when I'll see any again."
"I'm satisfied," said Kitty, "can I ask Dorothy over?"
"Yes," said Mr. Maynard; "ask anybody you choose." ”

“ Maynard, warningly, but King broke in:
"Too late, Mother! We're spoiled already. Father's high opinion of us has made us puffed up and conceited."
"Nonsense, King," cried Midge; "we're not conceited. Not nearly as much so as that girl across the way. You ought to see, Father, how she hopped up the walk! Like a scornful grasshopper!"
"Marjorie," said Mrs. Maynard, repressing a smile, "you must not criticise people so; especially those you don't know."
"Well, she did, Mother. She thinks because she came from New York,
Rockwell people are no good at all." ”

“ Marjorie looked round the room.
"I'll tell you!" she cried, as a brilliant idea came to her, "we'll play auction."
"Hooray!" cried King, grasping the plan at once. "Sell everything we can move."
"Yes," cried Mops. "Where is the auction room?"
"This end of the room is the auction room," King, indicating nearly half of the long living-room. "Now, Flip and I are auctioneers and you ladies are in reduced poverty, and have to bring your household goods to be sold."
Delight and Kitty at once saw dramatic possibilities, and flew to dress for their parts. ”