"Have you a date for tonight, Lou?" she asked. "Has Ted come yet?"
"No—to both questions," replied Louise. "I promised the family I'd stay home, for some aunts and cousins are coming. Now that I've caught my man, they want to look me over," she added flippantly. "And Ted won't be here till tomorrow. Why? What's on?"
"I—I'd like to have a talk with you about our flight," said Linda. "I was going to ask you to come over to our house and stay all night."
"That's O.K. with me. Only you'll have to come to our house instead."
The conversation was interrupted by Ralph Clavering, who had spied Linda for the first time. He took her hand impulsively, and held it so long that she was forced to pull it away.
"Where have you been?" he demanded, irritably. "I've been home from college for four days, just waiting for you!"
"I stopped at New Castle to see my Bellanca," Linda explained, smiling at his impatience. In spite of everything she did and said to the contrary, he always acted as if he owned her.
"Linda! You're not really counting on that ocean trip?" he demanded, making no effort to hide his disapproval.
(Why, oh why, she wondered, is everybody against me?)
"I am, though," she answered.