“The thing he ought to do, Auntie,” he said, resuming his seat and stretching out his long legs comfortably before him, “is to be like me and get himself interested in the movies. Then he can combine business with pleasure and pleasure with business and everybody’s happy!”
“I suppose so,” said Aunt Alvirah, with a gentle sigh. “But it wasn’t so in my day, indeed it wasn’t!”
Not until Aunt Alvirah had gone to bed, complaining patiently of her back and her bones, did Ruth broach the subject that was nearest her heart.
She and Tom were alone, and for a long time nothing had been said between them. They were in the habit of falling into these comfortable silences. A smile touched the corners of Tom’s wide, good-humored mouth as he watched Ruth neatly file the last few papers on her desk.
When it was all done Ruth turned around and answered Tom’s smile in kind.
“I don’t believe I’ve told you, Tommy-boy,” she said earnestly, “just how much I appreciate the sacrifice you’ve made.”
“Sacrifice?” repeated Tom, understanding but pretending that he did not.
“You know what I mean,” said Ruth gently. “It was big of you to give your consent to my undertaking this for Mr. Hammond. Not every one would have done that, under the circumstances, Tommy-boy.”
“Oh, I’m quite a remarkable fellow,” agreed Tom, with his cheery grin. “But then, so are you a remarkable young lady, Ruth Fielding,” he added gravely. “I don’t suppose any one understands what you are doing better than I, or appreciates it more. I’m lucky,” with another grin, just a bit rueful this time, “that you let me hang around at all!”
But Ruth was suddenly very much in earnest. She leaned forward and for just a moment let her hand rest lightly over Tom’s.