disappointment at the end. In the afternoon she went to
the Saunders. She found ^Mabel & [Jim?] lying in the lounge (in the library
very glad to see her but she imagined that he had a little air of possession
of security that irritated her. He complained of finding it dreadfully
dull & when she asked why he didn't read he replied that he didn't
care for a thing except Gaboriau's works & he'd read all those.
His resources were exhausted he'd played solitaire a dozen
different ways & he'd worn the family out playing other games
with him. He had tried to get Mabel to tell him about the dance
but she was tired & cross & never [has?] any thing amusing [worth hearing?]
anyway. May felt cross herself but she exerted all her powers
to be lively & amusing & succeeded very well. [Jim?] was encouraged
to show the best side of himself & felt much better for doing it.
When she went away he told her that he would be willing to be
laid up a month if she would come & talk to him every
day. On her way home she wondered what she should do if
she were [Jim's?] wife, she felt certain she would be lonesome
sometimes but she told herself bravely that if she could
make her father happy she would be willing to endure much
more than a little lonesomeness. Still she could not help
contrasting [Jim?] & Harry & though she would not admit it
to herself she half thought that if Harry had [Jim's] worldly
advantages there might be another [dimension?] to there
indiscretion than the one to which she had made up her
mind. She dreaded seeing Harry the next day she
EN