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and interview Miss Royal and write it up for the Times, Emily trembled between terror and delight. Here was her excuse. But could she—had she assurance enough? Wouldn't Miss Royal think her unbearably presumptuous? How could she ask Miss Royal questions about her career and her opinion of the United States’ foreign policy and reciprocity? She could never have the courage.
“We both worship at the same altar—but she is high priestess and I am only the humblest acolyte,” wrote Emily in her journal.
Then she indited a very worshipful letter to Miss Royal, and rewrote it a dozen times, asking permission to interview her. After she had mailed it she could not sleep all night because it occurred to her that she should have signed herself “yours truly” instead of “yours sincerely.” “Yours sincerely’ smacked of an acquaintanceship that did not exist. Miss Royal would surely think her presuming.
But Miss Royal sent back a charming letter—Emily has it to this day.
“Ashburn, Monday.
“Dear Miss Starr:—
“Of course you may come and see me and I'll tell you everything you want to know for Jimmy Towers (God rest his sowl, an’ wasn’t he my first beau!) and everything you want to know for yourself. I think half my reason for coming back to P. E. I. this spring was because I wanted to see the writer of The Woman Who Spanked the King. I read it last winier when it came out in Roche’s and I thought it charming. Come and tell me all about yourself and your ambitions. You are ambitious, aren’t you? And I think you’re going to be able to realise your ambitions, too, and I want to help you if I can. You’ve got something I never had—real creative ability—but I’ve heaps of experience and what I’ve learned from it is yours for the asking. I can help you to avoid some snares and pitfalls, and I’m not without a bit of ‘pull’ in certain quarters. Come to Ashburn next Friday afternoon when ‘school’s out’ and we'll have a heart-to-heart pow-wow.
“Yours fraternally,
“Janet Royal.”