“Hully gee, don’t do that,” implored her protector, genuinely disturbed.
But Teddie, oblivious of his presence, sat there with the tears welling from her eyes. She wept without sound or movement, with her face buried in her hands.
“Why, your gink’s canned f’r yuh, f’r good,” he explained as he made a roughly gentle effort to draw her hands away from her wet face.
“Oh, please go away,” said the weak-voiced girl, with a revulsion of feeling which left utter solitude the only thing to be desired.
But Gunboat Dorgan had experienced his own revulsions of feeling. And he was flushed now with something more than victory.
“Say, Ruby’s all right,” he confidentially acknowledged. “But this sure puts her in the discard. And what’s more, I’m glad things broke the way they did. I’m mighty glad it was me you got to put this thing straight. And——”
“I want to be alone,” moaned Teddie through her tear-wet fingers.
“Of course yuh do,” acknowledged her new-found knight. “And yuh will be. But if I’m goin’ to hit those Long Island resorts in a li’l club-roadster when the hot weather comes, I’d like to think it’s goin’ to be wit’ yuh!”
And before she quite realized what he meant Gunboat Dorgan had caught her up and kissed her on the tear-stained cheek.
“Y’ understand don’t yuh!” he said, laughing a little triumphantly at the stricken light which came into her eyes.