But Dicky’s mother, as far as I could see, was to be a member of our household for the rest of her life.  She herself had arranged it in a letter, the calm phrases of which still irritated me, as I recalled them.  She had taken me so absolutely for granted, as though my opinion amounted to nothing, and only her wishes and those of her son counted.

But suddenly my cheeks flamed with shame.  After all, this woman who was coming was my husband’s mother, an old woman, frail, almost an invalid.  I made up my mind to put away from me all the disagreeable features of her advent into my home, and to busy myself with plans for her comfort and happiness.

I hurried through my breakfast, for I wanted plenty of time for the last preparations before Dicky’s mother should arrive.  Dicky had gone to his studio for a while and then would go over to the station in time to meet her train, which was due at 11:30.

As I started to my room I heard the peal of the doorbell.

“I will answer it, Katie,” I called back, and went quickly to the entrance.  A special delivery postman stood there holding out a letter to me.  As I signed his slip, I saw that the handwriting upon the letter was Jack’s.

What could have happened?  I dreaded inexpressibly some calamity.

Only something of the utmost importance, I knew, could have induced my brother-cousin to write to me.  He was too careful of my welfare to excite Dicky’s unreasoning jealousy by a letter, unless there was desperate need for it.

Finally, I sat down in an arm-chair by the window, and breaking the seal, drew out the letter.

  “Dear Cousin Margaret: 

“I have decided, suddenly, to go across the pond and get in the big mix-up.  You perhaps remember that I have spoken to you frequently of my friend, Paul Caillard who has been with me in many a bit of ticklish work.  He was with me in South America, and like me, heard of the war for the first time when he got out of the wilderness.  He is a Frenchman, you know, and is going back to offer his services to the engineering corps.”

“And I am going with him, Margaret.  I think I can be of service over there.  Paul Caillard is the best friend I have.  As you know you are the only relative I have in the world, and you are happily and safely married, so I feel that I am harming no one by my decision.

“We sail tomorrow morning on the Saturn.  It will be impossible for me to come to your home before then.  So this is good-by.  When I come back, if I come back, I want to meet your husband and see you in your home.

“And now I must speak of a little matter of which you are ignorant, but of which you must be told before I go.  Before your mother died, I had made my will, leaving her everything I possessed, for you and she were all the family I had ever known.  After her death I changed her name to yours.