them. Eileen's face was a tragedy
when her uncle insisted on making the arrangements. I can at least spare
her that.

And now, my dear, life is growing so full and my time is so taken with
my work at the office and with my widening friendships with Dana and
her friends and with Mr. Snow, that I really feel I have not time to go
farther with our anonymous correspondence. It is all I can do to find
time to write you letters such as the one I am writing I have done my
best to play up to what you expected of me and I think I have succeeded
in fooling you quite as much as you have felt that you were fooling me.
But, Linda dear, I want you always to know that I appreciate the spirit
in which you began this thing. I know why you did it and I shall always
love you a trifle more for your thought of me and your effort to tide
over the very dark days you knew I would be facing in San Francisco.
I think, dear friend of mine, that I have had my share of dark days.
I think there is very beautiful sunlight ahead for me. And by and by I
hope to come into happiness that maybe is even more than my share. I am
coming to see you soon and then I will tell you all about it.

There was more of the letter, but at that point Linda made one headlong
rush for the Bear Cat. She took the curve on two wheels and almost ran
into the mountain face behind the garage before she could slow down.
Then she set the Cat screaming wildly for Peter. As he came up to the
car she leaned toward him, shaking with excitement.

"Peter," she cried, "have you opened that packet of letters yet?"

"No," said Peter, "I have not."

"Then give them to me quickly, Peter," said Linda.

Peter rushed into the garage and brought out the packet. Linda caught it
in both hands and dropped it in her lap.

"Well, thank God," she said devoutly. "And, Peter, the joke's on me.
Marian knew I was writing those letters all the time and she just
pretended that she cared for them to make the game interesting for me.
And when she had so many friends and so much to do, she hadn't time
for them any longer; then she pretended that she was getting awfully in
earnest in order to stop me, and she did stop me all right."

Linda's face was a small panorama of conflicting emotions as she
appealed to Peter.

"Peter," she said in a quivering voice, "you can testify that she
stopped me properly, can't you, Peter?"

Peter tried to smile. He was older than Linda, and he was thinking
swiftly,