Mrs. Corner smiled. Who but Jack would take such means of smoothing over unpleasant facts? "Come in, dear," she said.
"I will if you will say you think Carter will make an adorable son and that I am not a silly for thinking so much of him."
"I am ready to admit all that," Mrs. Corner replied gravely.
Jack sidled in, ran to her mother, snuggled her face for one moment against her mother's shoulder, gave her an ardent kiss and then backed away. "I can't stand any more just now," she said with a distinct quaver in her voice. "I am such a bally ass, you know. I'll come back again some other time," and she was out of the door before her mother could reprove her for using such expressions.
When she had finished mopping her eyes and had resumed a palpably don't-care manner, she returned to her sisters.
"Well, did you get it over?" inquired Jean.
"Oh, yes," was Jack's reply.
"Of course mother was lovely." Nan made the remark.
"Of course. She always is. It would be out of all reason to expect anything else. There never was such a precious mother in all the world."
There was unanimous agreement to this, then Jean said gaily, "I suppose then that Miss Jacqueline Corner is open to congratulations."