“Do you see him often, Queenie?”
“Not as often as he wants,” laughed the other.
They set the date for the following Friday evening, arranging to meet at the settlement house, and drive off in John’s car.
As the time approached, Marjorie felt herself growing more and more nervous, as if she dreaded to meet this young man, lest she should find out that Gertie was right in her estimate of his character. John, noticing this as they drove to the settlement, reminded her that she was not to allow herself to be prejudiced.
She was impressed neither one way nor the other by MacDonald’s appearance; he was not handsome, or even striking looking, but on the other hand, he was not badly or flashily dressed. The only thing that Marjorie realized immediately was that he was older than he made himself to be—much older than the usual college student. In fact, she decided almost instantly that he was not a college student at all.
Queenie and Sam sat in the back seat, so there was little opportunity for general conversation during the ride. Once, when John overheard them discussing basketball, he joined in.
“Go in for sports yourself, MacDonald?” he asked apparently idly, though Marjorie sensed the fact that he was leading up to his purpose—namely to extract information from the young man whom Gertie termed questionable.
“No, only as a fan. I watch the sporting page in the paper.”
“Go in for any college athletics?” pursued John. “Miss Brazier said you were a Penn man.”
“Was—I quit last year,” replied the other hastily. “You a college man?”