When they were well out into the country he began to press a question
which she had heard before, and to which he had had as yet no answer.
"Still undecided?" said he, with a very sober face. "You can't make up
your mind as to my qualifications?"
"Your qualifications are undoubted," said she, with a face as sober as
his. "They are more than any girl could ask. But I--how can I know? I
care so much for you--as a friend. Why can't we keep on being just good
friends and let things develop naturally?"
"If I thought they would ever develop the way I want them," he said
earnestly, "I would wait patiently a great while longer. But I don't
seem to be making any progress. In fact, I seem to have gone backward a
bit in your good graces. Since I saw that young prince of shopkeepers in
your company over at Eastman, I've been wondering--"
"Prince of shopkeepers! What an extraordinary characterization! I
thought he was a most amateurish shopkeeper. He didn't even know the
name of his own batiste, much less where it was kept."
"He knew how to skate and to take you along with him. I beg your pardon!
But ever since that night I've been experiencing a most disconcerting
sense of jealousy whenever I think of that young man.
Pages:
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297