"Oh, mar-velous!" she rejoined. "So long," and taking the rickety piazza steps two at a time she disappeared into the house.
King immediately buttonholed his friend. "Come over to the tent, will you?" he said.
"Sure thing," returned Whitcomb, flinging an arm around the other's shoulders.
They crossed the grass and entering the tent sat down on camp-stools in the opening, where the increasing mystery and magic of the night was spread before them.
"I can see that you and Linda have fixed it up," said Whitcomb. "She has worried her head off for fear the old friendship would never be renewed. She thinks an awful lot of you, old man."
At the beginning of this speech King looked up eagerly. Could it be that his task was going to be so easy?
But as Whitcomb continued, his look veered away, back to the moon path.
"Yes, we fixed it up," he replied.
There was a space of silence during which he tried to decide how to go on.
"You've been frank with me, Freddy, at various times regarding Linda, and I've been rather surprised lately to notice that you're not very assiduous in your attentions over there."