“Turn off the water works, and let us have no gushing of fountains. I’ll promise to do my best.”
“Oh, you cunning, precious thing!” ejaculated Joanne giving him an ardent kiss. Then she sat back and looked at him wistfully. “But you do approve, don’t you? You’re not saying it because I cajoled you into it?”
Her grandfather laughed. “Don’t question me too closely.”
“Grad!” The tears were actually dimming her eyes.
“There, there, dear child,” he said patting her arm. “I do approve of anything which makes you happy and in which I see no harm. There is no reason in the world, which I can see, why you should not combine study with pleasure when it comes about in this way.”
“Then come on, let’s get it over with.” Joanne jumped up, held out her hand and together they went to find Mrs. Selden.
As was to be expected, there were objections raised at the outset, but these were finally overcome in a measure when Joanne’s most telling argument was launched. “Tell me, honest Injun, Gradda,” she said, “did you never spend the night with your girl friends when you were my age? When did you begin to do it?”
Mrs. Selden reflected. “I think I was about your age,” she admitted at last, “but,” she added hastily, “it was not a custom. I went very seldom, certainly not once a week as you propose to do.”
“But it won’t be every week,” argued Joanne. “If the weather is bad or if any of us have some other thing we must do, we’ll call it off.”
Mrs. Selden counted the stitches in the piece of fancy work she was doing before she answered. “Well,” she said finally, “I think you may be permitted to go once at least; after that we will see.”