Months older, although out in Society,has no need to write me the sort of letters she has been writing.Twenty months is twenty months, and not two years, although sheseems to think it is.
I returned home full of happy plans for my vacation. When I lookback it seems strange that the gay and inocent young girl of thetrain can have heen I. So much that is tradgic has since happened.If I had not had a cinder in my eye things would have beendiferent. But why repine? Fate frequently hangs thus on a singlehair--an eye-lash, as one may say.
Father met me at the train. I had got the aformentioned cinder inmy eye, and a very nice young man had taken it out for me. I stillcannot see what harm there was in our chating together after that,especialy as we said nothing to object to. But father looked verydisagreeable about it, and the young man went away in a hurry. Butit started us off wrong, although I got him--father--to promise notto tell mother.
"I do wish you would be more careful, Bab," he said with a sort of sigh.
"Careful!" I said. "Then it's not doing Things, but being foundout, that matters!"
"Careful in your conduct, Bab."
"He was a beautiful young man, father," I observed, sliping my armthrough his.
"Barbara, Barbara! Your poor mother----"
"Now look here, father" I said. "If it was mother who wasinterested in him it might be troublesome. But it is only me. AndI warn you, here and now, that I expect to be thrilled at the sightof a Nice Young Man right along. It goes up my back and out theroots of my hair."
Well, my father is a real Person, so he told me to talk sense, andgave me twenty dollars, and agreed to say nothing about the youngman to mother, if I would root for Canada against the Adirondacksfor the summer, because of the Fishing.
Mother was waiting in the hall for me, but she held me off withboth hands.
"Not until you have bathed and changed your clothing, Barbara," shesaid. "I have never had it."
She meant the whooping cough. The school will recall the epademicwhich ravaged us last June, and changed us from a peacefulinstitution to what sounded.