Desire was inclined to take the common-sense view. Especially as
just about this time she came upon the track of another Mary, also
with yellow hair, who presented possibilities. The most suspicious
thing about this second Mary was that neither the professor nor his
friend Dr. Rogers had been able to tell Desire her first name. Now
in Bainbridge everyone knows the first name of everyone else. One
does not use it, necessarily, but one knows it. So that when Desire,
having one day noticed a gleam of particularly golden hair, asked
innocently to "whom it might belong" and was met by a plain surname
prefixed merely by "Miss," she became instantly curious. From other
sources she learned that the golden-haired Miss Watkins had been
employed as a nurse in Dr. Rogers' office for several months and
that her Christian name was Mary Sophia.
This also, you will see, was not much to build upon. But Desire felt
that she must neglect nothing. The menace of the unseen, unknown
Mary was beginning seriously to disturb her peace of mind. She
determined to see the doctor's pretty nurse at the earliest
opportunity.
The comradeship between herself and Rogers had prospered amazingly.
She had liked the young doctor at first sight; had discerned in him
something charmingly boylike and appealing. And Desire had never had
boy friends. The utter frankness of her friendship was undisturbed
by overmuch knowledge of her own attractions, and the possibility of
less contentment on his side did not occur to her.
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