"BAB A SUB-DEB" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rinehart Mary Roberts)

welcome to mail it. It would go to the Dead Letter Office, since
there was no Harold. It could not come back to me, for I had
only signed it "Barbara." I had it all figured out carefully. It
looked as if I had everything to gain, including the furs, and
nothing to lose. Alas, how little I knew!
"The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglay."
Burns.
Carter Brooks ambled into the room just as I sealed it and
stood gazing down at me.
"You're quite a Person these days, Bab," he said. "I
suppose all the customary Xmas kisses are being saved this year
for what's his name."
"I don't understand you."
"For Harold. You know, Bab, I think I could bear up better
if his name wasn't Harold."
"I don't see how it concerns you," I responded.
"Don't you? With me crazy about you for lo, these many
years! First as a baby, then as a sub-sub-deb, and now as a
sub-deb. Next year, when you are a real Debutante----"
"You've concealed your infatuation bravely."
"It's been eating me inside. A green and yellow
melancholly--hello! A letter to him!"
"Why, so it is," I said in a scornfull tone.
He picked it up, and looked at it. Then he started and
stared at me.
"No!" he said. "It isn't possible! It isn't old Valentine!"
Positively, my knees got cold. I never had such a shock.
"It--it certainly is Harold Valentine," I said feebly.
"Old Hal!" he muttered. "Well, who would have thought it!
And not a word to me about it, the secretive old duffer!" He
held out his hand to me. "Congratulations, Barbara," he said
heartily. "Since you absolutely refuse me, you couldn't do
better. He's the finest chap I know. If it's Valentine the
Familey is kicking up such a row about, you leave it to me. I'll
tell them a few things."
I was stunned. Would anybody have beleived it? To pick a
name out of the air, so to speak, and off a malted milk tablet,
and then to find that it actualy belonged to some one--was
sickning.
"It may not be the one you know" I said desperately.
"It--it's a common name. There must be plenty of Valentines."
"Sure there are, lace paper and Cupids--lots of that sort.
But there's only one Harold Valentine, and now you've got him
pinned to the wall! I'll tell you what I'll do, Barbara. I'm a
real friend of yours. Always have been. Always will be. The
chances are against the Familey letting him get this letter.
I'll give it to him."
"_Give _it to him?"
"Why, he's here. You know that, don't you? He's in town
over the holadays."