I tried to put myself in Dicky’s place, and to understand his reasons for objecting to my earning any money of my own.  I sat upright in bed as a thought flashed across my brain.  Was that the reason?  Were his objections to this plan of mine what he pretended they were?  Did he really fear that I might have unpleasant publicity thrust upon me, and that some of our pleasure plans might be spoiled by the weekly lecture engagement?  Or was he the type of man who could not bear his wife to have money or plans or even thoughts which did not originate with him?

I resolved to find out just what motive was behind his objections.  If he were willing that I should try to earn money in some other way I would gladly refuse this offer.  But if he were opposed to my ever having any income of my own the issue might as well come now as later.

A loud ringing at the doorbell awakened me.

For a moment I could not understand how I came to be in bed.  Then I remembered and throwing off my negligee and putting on a little afternoon gown, I twisted up my hair into a careless knot and hurried to the door.  The ring had been the postman’s.  The afternoon newspapers lay upon the floor.  With them was a letter with my former name upon it in a handwriting that I knew.  It had been forwarded from my old boarding house.  The superscription looked queer to me, as if it were the name of some one I had known long ago.

“Miss Margaret Spencer,” and then, in the crabbed handwriting of my dear old landlady, “care of Mrs. Richard Graham.”

I opened the letter slowly.  It bore a New Orleans heading, and a date three days before.

  “Dear little girl: 

“A year is a long time between letters, isn’t it?  But you know I told you when I left that the chances were Slim for getting a letter back from the wild territory where I was going, and I found when I reached there that ‘slim’ was hardly the word.  I wrote you twice, but have no hope that the letters ever reached you.  But now I am back in God’s country, or shall be when I get North, and of course, my first line is to you.  I am writing this to the old place, knowing it will be forwarded if you have left there.

“I shall be in New York two weeks from today, the 24th.  Of course I shall go to my old diggings.  Telephone me there, so that I can see you as soon as possible.  I am looking forward to a real dinner, at a real restaurant, with the realest girl in the world opposite me the first day I strike New York, so get ready for me.  I do hope you have been well and as cheerful as possible.  I know what a struggle this year must have been for you.

  “Till I see you, dear, always your

  “Jack.”