“Not a bit of it. You’ll come out to Montana next summer, won’t you?”
“I will if I can. Couldn’t you and Suzanne come to our place this year some time, say the spring vacation?”
“It would be lovely, Eleanor, but I suppose that our plans are too indefinite to make any definite ones for me.”
“By the way, what I came in for was to bring you a letter from your mother, I suppose. The mail was just being put in our boxes as I came away and Marta gave me this for you. She said that she was going off somewhere, I’ve forgotten where, with Ethel Johns, and would not be back till just before dinner.” Eleanor opened one of two books which she had been carrying and took out the letter, which she handed to Ann.
“Thanks, Eleanor,—but you are not going, are you? I’m in no hurry to read the letter.”
“I can’t stay this time. Take another nap. I’m afraid I wakened you.”
After Eleanor left, Ann raised the curtain a little and stretched out again, tearing open the end of the letter. It was a good fat one, such as she loved to get from her mother.
“Dearest Daughter,” she read. “Forgive me for making you wait a little longer than usual for your letter from me. There have been so many things going on, and you know that Mother wants me with her a great deal. We are making up for lost time. I think that Mother has rather overdone the having company for me. She is tired and Sue gloats a little over the fact, I think,—not that I would accuse her of wanting Mother to be ill, but it proves, you see, that her pretended concern about Mother’s health is right.”
Ann was surprised at her mother’s plain speaking, but since the denouement in regard to many things at Grandmother’s, her mother had broken over her long reserve with Ann. Rapidly Ann read on.
“We have about finished entertaining the ‘country-side,’ village and town, I think, and I am glad. To be sure, we shall be entertained in turn and have already received many invitations. But Mother need not go unless she desires. Sue goes right along with me and so far as I can see, has accepted the situation. She seems to have recovered from her chagrin at the failure of her plans and matters move as usual. I told you, I think, that Mother lets her continue to direct the household.