But it hasn't.
I am still outside."
"Everyone is, though you are young to realize it. Our social life is
very deceiving. Most of us wake up some day to find ourselves alone
in a desert."
Desire swung the hammock gently with the tip of her shoe. "Is not
one ever a part of a whole?"
"Socially, yes. Spiritually--I doubt it. It is some-thing which you
will have to decide for yourself."
"I don't want to be alone," said Desire rebelliously. "It frightens
me. I want to have a place. I want to fit in. But here, it seems as
if I had come too late. Every-one is fitted in already. There isn't
a tiny corner left."
Spence's grey eyes looked at her with a curious light in their
depths.
"Wait," he said. "You haven't found your corner yet. When you do,
the rest won't matter."
"But people do not want me. I had a horrid dream last night. I was
wandering all through Bainbridge and all the doors were open so that
I might go in anywhere. I was glad--at first. But I soon saw that my
freedom did not mean anything. No one saw me when I entered or cared
when I went away. I spoke to them and they did not answer. Then I
knew that I was just a ghost"
"I'm another," said a cheerful voice behind them. "All my 'too, too
solid flesh' is melting rapidly. Only ice-cream can save me now!"
Using his straw hat vigorously as a fan Dr. Rogers dropped limply
into an empty chair. "Tell you a secret," he went on confidentially.
"I had two invitations to Sunday supper but neither included ice-
cream.
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