Miriam sighed weakly.
"It takes money to move a thousand miles away," she protested feebly.
"You are like a needle in a hay stack over here," continued Shirley.
"But why did you come?" Miriam kept on protesting. "Why, Shirley ..."
Shirley stretched forth her arms, saying:—
"And you didn't want to see me!"
"Yes, yes," cried Miriam, suddenly catching Shirley and clinging to her affectionately. "Yes, I have wanted you to come so much, but I hoped you never would see this!" And she spread out her arms as though to exhibit the room.
"What a poor opinion you have of me! Why, Miriam, if I wanted to see handsome apartments, I need not have taken all this trouble to find you. No, indeed, I value your friendship too highly to desert you on account of this."
And now the two women fell to talking about things past and present. After a while, it was Shirley who delicately broached the subject of Laurie.
"And Laurie—how is he?" she asked.