“I hope he’s made you the heroine of the piece. Anyhow, he ought to have. You are fit to be the heroine of the best piece ever written.”
“Say now, honey,” expostulated Mame in the way her friend had learned to love, “that’s where you get off. Heroine-ism and that fancy jake is no use to me. I’ll never be able to get away with it. But Elmer has let me down light.”
“You must let me read it.”
Mame laughed. She actually laughed. “Why, you shall so. It’s the goods. That boy has an eye to him. He can see into things. And he knows a lot about human nature, does that boy.”
Already Lady Violet was feeling a lively sense of gratitude towards the famous and legendary Elmer P. The poor child was transformed. Her own people, for whose homely and abounding kindliness she had in her misery been longing, were alive in those magic pages. Yes, they were alive and they were dancing, Mame declared. And half America was dancing with them.
The mirth of the simple creatures she loved so well had lifted a weight from her heart. The relief might only be temporary, but Lady Violet was very willing to do homage to the wizardry of Elmer P.
“There’s his letter.” Mame tossed it excitedly across the bright green expanse of counterpane.
Lady Violet read with a smile. And then suddenly there came a mischievous little clutch at her heart. Yes, why not? It was an idea. The brilliantly clever woman of the world again glanced furtively at Mame. This intoxicating moment, which was doing so much to heal the child and to keep her sane, must, if possible, be held. But how? Like all things in time it was fleeting, transitory. With the coming of daylight it would surely pass. A pitiless January dawn would throw her back upon hard and cruel reality. Yet this moment of happiness might be extended; perhaps there was a chance of making it permanent.
She fixed her wise eyes upon those of the feverish Mame. “Yes, my dear, we’ll go round with the big drum. We’ll corral the Press all right. If Prairie City doesn’t knock London endways it shall not be our fault.”
“You can bet your life it won’t be!”