At the boat Leila went all to pieces. I could never have believed that
our gay little Leila would have taken anything so hard--and it was
pitiful to see Barry. But I can't talk about that--I can't think about
it.
Porter was dear to Leila. He treated her as if she were his own little
sister, and it was lovely. He took her right away from the General,
when the ship was leaving the dock.
"Brace up, little girl," he said; "he'll be back before you know it."
He literally carried her to a taxi and put her in, and then began such
a day. We did all of the delightful things that one can do in New York
on a summer day, beginning with breakfast at a charming inn on Long
Island, and ending with a roof garden at night. And that night Leila
was so tired that she went to sleep all in a minute, like a child, and
forgot to grieve.
Since we came back to Washington, Porter has kept it up, not letting
Leila miss Barry any more than possible, and playing big brother to
perfection.
It is queer how we misjudge people. If any one had told me that Porter
could be so sweet and tender to anybody, I wouldn't have believed it.
But perhaps Leila brings out that side of him. Now I am independent,
and aggressive, and I make Porter furious, and most of the time we
fight.
As I said, the house seems empty--but I am not in it much now. If I
had not had my work, I think I should have gone crazy. That's why men
don't get silly and hysterical and morbid like women--they are saved by
the day's work. I simply have to forget my troubles while I transcribe
my notes on the typewriter.
Of course you know what life in the Departments is without my telling
you. But to me it isn't monotonous or machine-like. I am awfully
interested in the people. Of course my immediate work is with the nice
old Chief. I'm glad he is old, and gray-haired. It makes me feel
comfortable and chaperoned. Do you know that I believe the reason that
most girls hate to go out to work is because of the loss of protection.
You see we home girls are always in the care of somebody. I've been
more than usually independent, but there has always been some one to
play propriety in the background. When I was a tiny tot there was my
nurse. Later at kindergarten I was sent home in a 'bus with all the
other babies, and with a nice teacher to see that we arrived safely.
Then there was mother and father and Barry and Constance, some of them
wherever I went--and finally, Aunt Isabella.