For the Quinns, however, Mary Lee's departure had brought only sorrow. They tried hard to be unselfish, to be glad for her sake. But they felt intuitively that she had gone for good, that she would never return, and their attempt to appear glad, if the truth must be told, was a sorry failure.
Mrs. Cameron had taken it for granted that when Mary Lee came to the city, she would make her home with them, and Ruth had hopes of having her stay at her house. Letty, however, had insistently claimed that Mary Lee should stay with her. In fact, Mary Lee had been Letty's guest the very first night. Considerable debate came up the second day over this question, when Mary Lee and Letty had called for Ruth and the three had made a call on Mrs. Cameron. Dr. Anderson had been a luncheon guest and was still there when the girls arrived as, of course, was Aunt Madge.
The argument as to where Mary Lee should stay became quite heated although it was carried on with good nature. Each one was insistent about carrying her point. The prospective guest, and Aunt Madge as well as the doctor had found the discussion amusing and the latter, in particular, man like, poked fun at all of them.
"Well, Mary Lee," he remarked, "no one would class you as an undesirable. Nor could you be considered in the light of a poor relation."
"From the way you folks talk," added Aunt Madge, "one would never infer that the victim had any rights in the matter nor that there might be a possibility that she would have a preference as to where she would like to stay."
Nothing could have flustered Mary Lee more than this. She showed such distress and embarrassment at any likelihood of having to decide the argument, that Aunt Madge took instant pity upon her. She regretted her interference and came quickly to the relief of the girl.
"No," she interposed. "On second thought, we shouldn't let her decide. I'm certain that it would be pleasant for Mary Lee at any of your homes."
"Yes," said Dr. Anderson, "we must keep her out of this important discussion, slave that she is," he added with mock ferocity.
Everyone laughed but Letty. She was so anxious to have the question decided in her favor that she did not even hear what Dr. Anderson had just said. She had listened with some dismay and misgiving to the first suggestion that Mary Lee be allowed to choose her own home. The new Letty dared not hope that she would be chosen in preference to Ruth and Mrs. Cameron.
"I know what we will do," Dr. Anderson said. "We two, I mean," and he nodded his head toward Aunt Madge to avoid calling her name. One of the delightful things about him was that he could not overcome the habit, try as he would, of blushing when mentioning his fiancee by name. Worst of all, their friends were acquainted with this characteristic. He was annoyed with himself for not being able to overcome it, and, wisely so he thought he had decided to avoid the amused watchfulness of these friends by failing to mention her by name. This time, he was fairly caught.