The next evening I took Sally to Dr. Camden’s to call on the young visitors. We found Jim Barkley there. He paid marked attention to Hetty Poiret all the evening. Occasionally he glanced at Sally or me but we avoided him as much as possible. We did not have a very pleasant evening. Searles and Kitty had been quarreling and were still skirmishing. We left early and walked home in the moonlight.
The next morning people who met me looked unusually pleasant and seemed amused. I could not understand it until I reached Sally’s house again. She met me at the door and called to her mother as I came in:
“Here he is mother! Now we shall see!”
“Did you know,” she said turning to me, “that Jim Barkley says that you were in Doylestown yesterday driving two girls in a red devil as drunk as a lord?”
“No,” I replied, “I did not. I was in Doylestown driving my red car and Fanny and Mary Hillpot were with me but I was not drunk. I had had nothing at all to drink.”
“There, Mother,” said Sally, “I told you he did not drink.”
“And did you know,” she continued, “that he says we stayed at a farm house together on Saturday night, and then he winks.”
“The dirty dog,” I said, “I think I can stop his mouth.”
Sally and her mother were both in tears but I comforted them by telling them that I would bring the farmer and his wife up next day. I did so and drove around to Dr. Camden’s house. I told the Doctor my story and asked him to question the farmer and his wife. He agreed to this and did so. Then I drove them to the bank and asked Mr. Davis, the President of the bank to listen to them in Jim Barkley’s presence. Jim declared that he had been misquoted but I brought Hetty Poiret to the bank to contradict him. Then I took the farmer and his wife back home after warmly thanking them.
That evening I went again to see Sally. She blushed beautifully as she opened the door. “Sally!” I said, “I came here to tell you that you are the dearest, sweetest, prettiest, smartest, nicest girl in the world, and that I love you, love you, love you.”