"You never told me that, Shirley."
"No!" exclaimed the girl; "my friends don't know the worst side of me!
My father a failure! Fortunately in these three years I have come to
look upon things differently--have come to know that he was a success,
simply because he was real. Money! What is money? My father was a man!"
Miriam rose suddenly and went over to her and kissed her.
"I'm glad, Shirley," she said with feeling, "that you found it out. I
knew it always."
All this time, Shirley had been watching with growing curiosity, the
fancy work on which Miriam sewed so industriously. At last, she
ventured:--
"Miriam, I'm a regular old maid. I haven't been one hour in your house,
and already I'm burning up with curiosity to know just what you're
making."
Miriam glanced a moment out of the window, then she answered somewhat
evasively:--
"Why, it's just a bit of embroidery...."