Marjorie's New Friend

by Carolyn Wells

  CHAPTER VI

  THE GOING OF GLADYS

  Gladys was to go away early one Saturday morning.

  On Friday afternoon Marjorie gave a little farewell party for her.

  Mrs. Maynard arranged this as a pleasant send-off for Marjorie's friend,and determined that though it was a sad occasion, it should be also amerry one.

  So, instead of depending on the guests to make their own entertainment, aprofessional entertainer had been engaged from New York, and he sang andrecited and did pantomimes that were so funny nobody could help laughing.

  And, too, though all the children liked Dick and Gladys Fulton, yet nonefelt so very sorry to have them leave Rockwell as Marjorie did.

  Even Kingdon, though he was good chums with Dick, had other chums, and,while sorry to have Dick go, he didn't take it greatly to heart.

  Marjorie was truly trying to be brave, but she looked at Gladys with aheart full of love and longing to keep her friend near her.

  As for Gladys, herself, she, too, was sad at leaving Marjorie, but shewas so full of wonder and curiosity about the new home they were goingto, in the land of flowers and sunshine, that she was fairly impatient toget there.

  "Just think, Mopsy," she said, as the two girls sat together at the partyfeast, "the roses out there are as big as cabbages, and bloom all theyear round."

  "Are they really?" said Midget, interested in spite of herself.

  "Yes, and I'll send you a big box of them as soon as I get there. They'llkeep all right, 'cause mother received a box the other day, and they wereas fresh as fresh."

  "And you'll write to me, Glad, won't you?" said Marjorie, a littlewistfully.

  "'Course I will! I'll write every week, and you write every week. Whatday do you choose?"

  "Monday; that comes first."

  "All right. You write to me every Monday, and I'll write to you everyThursday."

  "You can't answer a Monday letter on Thursday," put in Gladys's brotherDick; "it takes five or six days for a letter to go."

  "Well, I'll write the Monday after you go," said Marjorie, "and then youanswer it as soon as you get it; then I'll answer yours as soon as I getit, and so on."

  "All right, I will. And I'll write you a letter while I'm on the train,travelling. Of course we'll be five or six days getting there ourselves."

  "So you will. Oh, Gladys, California is awful far away!"

  "Yes, isn't it! But, Mops, maybe you can come out there and visit me sometime."

  Marjorie looked doubtful. "No," she said, "I don't think I could go andleave them all, and I don't s'pose you mean for us all to come."

  "No, I meant just you. Well, I'll come here and visit you, some time,how's that?"

  "Lovely!" cried Midge, with sparkling eyes. "Oh, will you, Gladys? Thatwill be something to look forward to. Will you?"

  "Of course I will, Mops, dear. I know mother'll let me, and I'd love tocome."

  This was a real consolation, and Marjorie laid it up in her heart forcomfort on lonely days.

  After the party supper was over, most of the young guests gave Gladys orDick little gifts which they had brought them as remembrances.

  They were merely pretty trifles, but the Fulton children were greatlypleased, and declared they should never forget their Rockwell friends forany they might make in California.

  Marjorie gave Gladys a gold neck-chain, with a little gold heartcontaining her picture, and Gladys had already given Midge her ownportrait framed in silver to stand on her dressing-table. The youngguests all went away except the two Fultons, who were to stay to dinner.Mr. Maynard came home, and with a determination to keep Marjorie'sspirits up, he was especially gay and nonsensical.

  "I suppose Uncle Sam will have to put on extra mail service when you twogirls get to corresponding," he said.

  "Yes, Mr. Maynard," said Gladys. "Marjorie and I are both going to writeevery week, and I'm going to send her flowers by mail."

  "Well, don't send any live rattlesnakes or Gila monsters in the mail.They might starve on the way."

  "I'd rather they'd starve on the way than reach here alive," saidMarjorie, with a little shudder.

  "Do they have those things where you're going, Glad?"

  "I don't know. Isn't it strange to be going to live in a place that youdon't know anything about?"

  "It's strange to have you live anywhere but in Rockwell," said Marjorie,and Gladys squeezed her hand under the table.

  But at last the time came for the real farewells.

  "Cut it short," cried Mr. Maynard, gaily, though there was a lump in hisown throat as Gladys and Marjorie threw their arms about each other'sneck for the last time.

  The Fultons were to leave very early the next morning, and the girlswould not meet again.

  Both were sobbing, and Dick and Kingdon stood by, truly distressed attheir sisters' grief.

  "Come, dearie, let Gladys go now," said Mrs. Maynard, for knowingMarjorie's excitable nature, she feared these paroxysms of tears.

  "No, no! she shan't go!" Midge almost screamed, and Gladys was also in astate of convulsive weeping.

  Mr. Maynard went to Marjorie, and laid his big cool hand on her brow.

  "My little girl," he whispered in her ear "father wants you to be brave_now_."

  Midget look up into his dear, kind eyes, and then, with a truly braveeffort she conquered herself.

  "I will, Father," she whispered back, and then, with one last embrace,she said, "Good-bye, Gladys, dear Gladys, good-bye."

  She let her go, and Dick took his sister's arm in silence, and they wentaway.

  Both Mr. and Mrs. Maynard were somewhat shaken by the children's tragedy,but neither thought it wise to show it.

  "Now, Mopsy Moppet," said her father, "what do you think I have here?"

  He took a parcel from the mantel, and held it up.

  "I don't know," said Midge, trying to smile; "what is it?"

  "Well, it's a game,--a brand new game, and none of your poky oldgo-to-sleep affairs either. It's a lively, wide-awake game, that onlylively, wide-awake children can play. So come one, come all!"

  They all gathered round the table, and Mr. Maynard explained the rules ofthe new game. Marjorie loved games, and as this was really a mostinteresting one, she couldn't help enjoying it, and was soon absorbed inthe play. It combined the elements of both skill and chance, and causedmany moments of breathless suspense, as one or another gained or lost inthe count.

  When it was finished, Marjorie was again her own rosy, smiling self, andthough she still felt the vague weight of sorrow, she had spent apleasant, enjoyable hour.

  "And now to bed, chickadees," cried their father, "it's long past nine!"

  "Is it really?" exclaimed Midget, "how the time has flown!"

  "That's because you were my own brave girl, and tried to rise abovemisfortune," said Mr. Maynard, as he bade her good-night. "No tearypillows to-night, girlie."

  "No, Father, dear, I hope not."

  "Just go to sleep, and dream that you have a few friends still east ofthe Rockies."

  "More than I'll ever have west of them," responded Marjorie, and thenwith her arm round Kitty's waist, the two girls went upstairs to bed.

  The next morning at the breakfast table, Mr. Maynard made a sudden andunexpected announcement.

  "Mother Maynard," he said, "if you can spare your eldest daughter, Ithink I'll borrow her for the day."

  "What!" cried Marjorie, looking up in surprise.

  "You may have her," said Mrs. Maynard, smiling, "if you'll return hersafely."

  "Oh, I can't promise that. I'm of rather careless habits, and I mightmislay her somewhere."

  "Well, I'll trust you for this once. Mops, do you want to go to town withFather?"

  Marjorie's eyes flashed an answer, and Kitty exclaimed:

  "Without us?"

  "I grieve to disappoint you, Kitsie," said Mr. Maynard, "but you stillhave your friend Dorothy. Midget is cruelly deprived of her chum, and sofor one day she is going to put
up with a doddering old gentlemaninstead. Get your bonnet and shawl, my child."

  Marjorie looked at her mother for confirmation of this good news, andreceiving an answering smile, she excused herself from the table and ranaway to her room. Nannie helped her, and soon she tripped downstairsprettily dressed in a dark blue cloth frock and jacket, a blue felt hat,and her Christmas furs.

  "Whew! what a fine lady!" said her father. "I shall have to don my besthat and feathers, I think."

  "I've lost my chum, too," said King, as he watched the pair about tostart.

  "Yes, you have, my boy, but he wasn't your 'perfectly darlingconfidential friend,' as girls' chums are! Moreover, you haven't shedsuch gallons of first-class well-salted tears as this young person has.No, Son, I'm sorry to leave you behind, but you didn't weep and wail loudenough!"

  King had to laugh at the way his father put it, but he well knew Marjoriewas given a day's pleasure to divert her mind from Gladys's departure,and he didn't begrudge his sister the trip.

  "We must be extra kind to old Midge, Kit," he said, as Marjorie and herfather walked briskly down the drive.

  "Yes," said Kitty, earnestly, "she does feel awful about losing Gladys.I'm going to make fudge for her, while she's gone to-day."

  "I wish I could do something for her. Boys are no good!"

  "You are too!" cried loyal little Kitty. "You can help her with herarithmetic every night. She can do it all right, if she has a littlehelp, and Glad used to help her a lot."

  "Good for you, Kitsie! of course I will. Dear old Midge, I'm terriblesorry for her."

  Meantime, Marjorie, by her father's side, was rushing along in the trainto New York.

  While Mr. Maynard read his paper, he glanced sometimes at his daughter,and rejoiced that she was interestedly gazing out of the window at theflying scenery.

  Occasionally, she turned and smiled at him, but she said little, and heknew she was being brave and trying not to think too much about her loss.

  Gladys had gone away early and when they had passed the closed anddeserted-looking Fulton house, Marjorie had swallowed hard and looked theother way.

  But once in New York, the child had no time to think of anything but thepresent hour, so full of joy was the whole day.

  "My time is yours," announced Mr. Maynard, as they reached the city."I've telephoned to the office that I won't be there at all today, sowhat shall we do?"

  "Oh, Father, a whole Ourday, all for you and me?" Marjorie's eyes dancedat this unheard of experience.

  "Yes, Midget; partly because I'm sorry for my troubled little girl, andpartly because you _are_ bearing your trouble bravely and cheerfully."

  "Who wouldn't be cheerful, with a whole Ourday, and a whole father, allto myself!"

  "Well, you'll probably never have another, alone with me. So make themost of it. Where shall we go first?"

  "Oh, I don't know; it's all so lovely."

  "Then I'll choose. Step this way, Madame."

  This way, was toward a line of waiting taxicabs, and Mr. Maynard engagedone, and handed Marjorie in.

  "A taxy ride! Oh, lovely!" she cried, as they started off at a fine pace.

  On they went, spinning across town, till they reached Fifth Avenue, andturned up that broad thoroughfare.

  Marjorie enjoyed every minute, and looked out of the open window at thebustling city life all about. Up town they went for blocks and blocks,and stopped at the Metropolitan Art Museum.

  They went in here, after Mr. Maynard had dismissed the cab, and staid therest of the morning.

  Marjorie, perhaps, would not have cared so much for the pictures andstatues had she been alone; but her father called her attention tocertain ones, and told her about them in such a way, that she was amusedand instructed both.

  They looked at strange and curious relics of ancient times; they studiedthe small models of the world's greatest buildings; and they lingered inthe hall full of casts of the noblest statues of all time.

  "Hungry, Chickadee?" said Mr. Maynard, at last, looking at his watch.

  "Why, yes, I believe I am; but I hadn't thought of it."

  "I'm glad you are, for I can assure you I am. Suppose we make a mad dashfor a pie-shop."

  "Come on," said Marjorie, and away they went, through the turnstiles, andout upon Fifth Avenue again.

  Mr. Maynard hailed a motor-omnibus, and Marjorie carefully climbed thespiral staircase at the back. Her father followed, and sitting up on topof the 'bus, in the crisp, wintry air and bright sunshine, they wentwhizzing down the avenue.

  "Isn't it fun, Father!" said Marjorie, as she held tightly to his arm.

  "Yes, and there's a fine view to-day." He pointed out many famousbuildings, and when they neared a large hotel, he said:

  "We'll have to get out, Midge. I shall pine away with hunger beforeanother block."

  "Out we go!" was the reply, and they clambered down the twisty stair.

  "Is there anything that would tempt your appetite, Miss Maynard?" saidher father, as, seated at a small round table, he looked over the menu.

  "No, thank you; I don't think I can eat a thing!" said Midge, droppingher eyes, and trying to look fragile and delicate.

  "No? But really, you must try to taste of something. Say, the left wingof a butterfly, with hard sauce."

  This made Marjorie laugh, and she said, "I couldn't eat it all, but Imight nibble at it."

  Then what Mr. Maynard really did, was to order Marjorie's favouritedishes.

  First, they had grape-fruit, all cut in bits, and piled up in dainty,long-stemmed glasses. Then, they had a soft, thick soup, and thensweetbreads with mushrooms.

  "You're not to get ill, you know," said Mr. Maynard, as Marjorie showeda surprising appetite, "but I do want you to have whatever you liketo-day."

  "Oh, I won't get ill," declared Marjorie, gaily, "and now, may I selectthe ice cream?"

  "Yes, if you won't ask for plum pudding also."

  "No, but I do want little cakes, iced all over. Pink and green and whiteand yellow ones."

  These were allowed, and Marjorie blissfully kept on nibbling them, whileMr. Maynard sipped his coffee. In the afternoon they went to a matinee.It was one of the gorgeous spectacular productions, founded upon an oldfairy tale, and Marjorie was enraptured with the beautiful tableaux, thewonderful scenery, and the gay music.

  "Oh, Father," she said, "aren't we having the gorgeousest time! You arethe beautifulest man in the whole world!"

  After the performance, Mr. Maynard spoke of going home, but Marjorie'seyes held a mute appeal, which he could not resist.

  "Ice cream _again!_" he said, though she had not spoken the words. "Well,ice cream it is, then, but no rich cakes this time. I promised MotherdyI'd bring you home safe and sound. But I'll tell you, we'll buy some ofthose cakes to take home, and you may have them to-morrow."

  "And Kitty and King, too," said Midge. "And let's take them somebuttercups."

  So the candy and cakes were bought and carried home by two tired but veryhappy people, and Marjorie fully appreciated the lovely day her fatherhad given her, because of Gladys's going away.

  "And I _will_ be good and brave," she resolved to herself, on her wayhome in the train. "I'm going to try to be just as cheerful and pleasantas If Gladys hadn't gone away at all, but was in her own house, acrossthe street."