“What’s the matter with Ginger?” she asked.
“Oh, nothing,” Jim assured her coldly. “He’s just wondering whether this is a real ride or only a political procession.”
Betty laughed and started Queen into a canter. “Why didn’t you say you were tired of walking, silly?” she demanded. Then suddenly she had an idea. “Of course you know I shall miss you, Jim,” she said. “We’re too good friends to bother with saying things like that, when we both know them.”
“Just as you say about that,” said Jim with a sudden return of his smile. “But candidly now, Betty, aren’t you too busy to miss people much?”
“When I’m too busy to have friends,” Betty told him earnestly, “I shall just stop being busy. Life wouldn’t be worth living without friends.”
“But you’ve got such a lot, haven’t you?” Jim asked, idly flicking at the scarlet sumach leaves with his crop. They were walking again now.
“Any college girl has a lot, and any college man. Haven’t you?”
Jim nodded. “I was just thinking that one, more or less——”
“Jim!” Betty’s tone was highly indignant. “You’re fishing! But you act so blue to-day, and you’ve worked so hard for Morton Hall, that I’ll just ask you a question. Which one of your good friends, ‘more or less,’ doesn’t matter?”
Jim laughed. “You’re right, of course. I do get blue—it runs in the family, I guess. Eleanor’s that way, too.”