e a piece
of news I told her myself when I heard her repeating it to some one
else not five minutes after, as John says.

Heavens! for the third time, "as John says," I must stop. But _I am_ a
very happy married woman! John gives me everything I want, and I adore
him.

When I hear from you I will telegraph my train. We missed you awfully
at the Makeways. John spoke of it several times. He loves to dance with
you because you are always ready to sit it out and do all the talking.
Dear me, I'm afraid that doesn't sound complimentary, but I assure you
he _meant_ it as such!

How nice it will be to be with you. You aren't strict about your
mourning, are you? I don't think it's at all necessary, way off there.

With love, always affectionately,

MAYBEL PARKE RODNEY.

V

_From an Uninvited._

Thursday.

My Darling George:

I hope this letter will reach you before you leave Minneapolis. I do
wish you would leave politics alone, if they're going to take you away
like this. Believe me, the country can get along much better without
you than _I_ can! When we are married you have _got_ to give them up.
When we are married, too, and this bore of a divorce of mine is finally
settled, I presume I shall be invited to Mrs. Makeway's parties! I
wasn't asked last night to her big ball!--not that I care. I am sure
that beast of a husband of mine will never be able to prove his nasty
charges against us, and that I shall win the case. Then there'll be no
excuse for Mrs. Makeway and her prudish set, and I promise you they
shall eat "humble pie," if there's any left in the world after all my
dear friends have made me devour. Tom has been making overtures to my
maid through a detective, but Lena is faithful to us, and I've promised
her double any sum they offer her. _When_ my position is all right
again, I shall go in for society in the most extravagant, splendid way
for one long, brilliant, spiteful season, and I shall punish every one
of these women who have snubbed me so terribly. After all, half of them
owe their positions in the world to my family, and with my family to
back me there will be no trouble about my being absolutely reinstated.
My people will back me up, too, for we have never had a scandal up till
now. We have been almost the only family left.

Of course the papers are full of the Makeway ball, and the pictures of
Mrs. Makeway are too deliciously absurd for anything. One looks like
that one of me in the Evenin