“Good! What time?”
“Six sharp!”
“I’ll be there!” returned Marjorie.
CHAPTER VII.
MARJORIE’S RIVAL.
Although John Hadley had resolutely put his own feelings aside, and outwardly was as light-hearted as the rest on the week-end party, he felt far from cheerful. It was not that he was foolish enough to resent Marjorie’s change of plans, for after all that had been accidental on her part. He and she had planned nothing definite, and it was only natural that her father should have the final decision. The latter had not even known of their little vacation project; probably if he had, he would hardly have considered it of sufficient consequence to change his larger plans for his daughter’s entire summer.
But John felt wretched because Marjorie had not displayed the slightest regret at giving up their vacation. The prospect, which had filled all his dreams for the past month, meant nothing to her; she could relinquish it as easily as she might cancel one theatre engagement for another. John came suddenly face to face with the fact that Marjorie did not care in the least for him in the way in which he cared for her.
He went over some of his past experiences with her, recalling bitterly the fact that her pleasure had not been because of his presence, but rather for some more practical reason. She had seemed to enjoy the dance at Princeton two years ago; but her joy was nothing in comparison with that which she displayed when she found her friend, Frieda Hammer. Then, too, at camp the preceding summer, she was wild with delight at his visit; but was it not more because of the present—the wireless—which he had taken to her, than for himself?
John knew that Marjorie had invited Griffith Hunter to the senior dance. Griffith Hunter, a college man of wealth and position, with everything that a young girl might wish to find in her future husband! What a contrast to himself!
He was working in Philadelphia now, and spending the week-ends with his mother at Cape May. She was not well enough to be in the hot city during the summer, so he had obtained a comfortable little cottage where she could keep house and entertain her old friends modestly.