This statement Roland considered an excellent cue for an exchange of gallantries.
“But wouldn’t you miss me if I went?”
Dolly, however, was greatly interested in her own subject.
“Yes,” she went on, “she seems really worried. Only the other day she said to me: ‘Dolly, I can’t get on without that boy. There’s nothing to look forward to of a Sunday now, and I get so tired of my work.’ And when I said to her: ‘But, my dear Betty, there’s hundreds more fish in the sea. What about young Rogers at the post office?’ she answers: ‘Oh, him! my boy’s spoilt me for all that. I can’t bear the sight of young Rogers any more.’ Funny, isn’t it?”
Roland agreed with her. To him it was amazing.
“Well,” Dolly went on, “I saw quite clearly that there was nothing for it but that she must get hold of another young chap like your friend. And I asked her if there was anyone else up at the school she fancied, and she said, yes, there was; a boy she’s seen you talking to once or twice; a young, fair-haired fellow with a blue and yellow hat ribbon. That’s the best I can do. Is that any help to you? Would you know him?”
A blue and yellow hat ribbon limited the selection to members of the School XI., and there was only one old color who answered to that description—Brewster in Carus Evans’.
“Oh, yes, I know him.”
“Well, now, don’t you think you could arrange it? Do, for my sake.”
“But I don’t know him well enough. I don’t see how I could.”