ot certain, but I hope."

"So do I," said Margery. With the pencil in one hand and the various
scraps of paper in the other, she climbed on to the writing desk and
gave herself up to literature....

And it seems to me that she is well equipped for the task. For besides
having my pencil still (of which I say nothing for the moment) she has
now three separate themes upon which to ring the changes--a range wide
enough for any writer. These are, "Baby got solicitor" (supposing that
there is such a word), "Solicitor got baby," and "Got baby solicitor."
Indeed, there are really four themes here, for the last one can have two
interpretations. It might mean that you had obtained an ordinary
solicitor for Baby or it might mean that you had got a specially small
one for yourself. It lacks, therefore, the lucidity of the best authors,
but in a woman writer this may be forgiven.

VIII. MY SECRETARY

When, five years ago, I used to write long letters to Margery, for some
reason or other she never wrote back. To save her face I had to answer
the letters myself--a tedious business. Still, I must admit that the
warmth and geniality of the replies gave me a certain standing with my
friends, who had not looked for me to be so popular. After some months,
however, pride stepped in. One cannot pour out letter after letter to a
lady without any acknowledgment save from oneself. And when even my own
acknowledgments began to lose their first warmth--when, for instance, I
answered four pages about my new pianola with the curt reminder that I
was learning to walk and couldn't be bothered with music, why, then at
last I saw that a correspondence so one-sided would have to come to an
end. I wrote a farewell letter and replied to it with tears....

But, bless you, that was nearly five years ago. Each morning now, among
the usual pile of notes on my plate from duchesses, publishers,
moneylenders, actor-managers and what-not, I find, likely enough, an
envelope in Margery's own handwriting.

Not only is my address printed upon it legibly, but there are also such
extra directions to the postman as "England" and "Important" for its
more speedy arrival. And inside--well, I give you the last but seven.

"MY DEAR UNCLE I thot you wher coming to see me to night but you didnt
why didnt you baby has p t o hurt her knee isnt that a pity I have some
new toys isnt that jolly we didnt have our five minutes so will you
krite to me and tell me all ab