"No, it isn’t. She’s a nice, cheerful girl, and she can be very useful. She sews——”
"If you want her for a maid, call her a maid, and put her in a maid’s room. Why did you put her there, at the end of the hall? One of the best rooms!"
"To be near me."
"Near you? You said she was for Polly."
"That’s no reason why she shouldn’t help me now and then when I——”
"Now, look here!" interrupted the young man. "This is final. Either she goes to-morrow, or you’ll put her in her proper place. I won’t have her running around the house half-dressed. If she’s a maid, treat her as a maid. If you want a companion, get one—a real one. What does Polly say?"
"Polly hasn’t seen her yet. I engaged her. I went all the way into the city to see her mother and find out about her. You know, Eddie, I’m paying her out of my own pocket, because I feel that Polly shouldn’t be left alone."
"You ought to know better than to pick out a girl like this one!" he cried. "I’m disgusted. You’re so anxious to get rid of the trouble of looking after Polly that you’d pick up any one, out of the street—any one cheap!"
He was very angry; his fair face flushed; he twisted his little mustache with a trembling hand.
"I’d like to see her——” he began again.