“Well, er—, just a little business trip to Cincinnati. I will be gone only a short while. Please tell your sister, if you should happen to mention the fact that you saw me starting off, that I expect to be back in plenty of time to keep our engagement for to-morrow evening.”
“Certainly!” said Teddy, but Josie noticed that his jaw shot out in a very pugnacious angle as he answered.
“Good-bye, Josie!” and Teddy held her hand in a firm grip. “I’ll tell the world you are some sport.”
“Good-bye, Teddy! It is mighty nice to have seen you and I hope we shall meet again soon. Thank you for all your kindness.” Her tone was that of a conventional young lady saying farewell to an old schoolmate she had happened to run across. Teddy realized she was putting on the social graces for the benefit of Mr. Cheatham, who was watching the parting with some show of interest.
Josie was almost sorry she had acted so well when, after the train pulled out, Cheatham sank in the seat by her and with an evident effort began to try to make himself agreeable. Of course she realized fully it was because he felt it incumbent upon him to pay some attention to a young person, no matter how unattractive in his eyes, who was evidently a close friend of the brother of Anita Trask.
“I’ll meet him halfway,” was her resolve, and forthwith she began a line of so-called flapper talk that completely overwhelmed the man.
CHAPTER XIX
PHILIP IS FOUND
Had Cheatham harbored the slightest suspicion against Teddy Trask’s friend, her conversation on the journey from Louisville to Cincinnati would have completely dispelled it. Cheatham was an intelligent villain, with some culture, and Josie’s deliberately silly patter bored him intensely. He stood it for about an hour and then made a plea of having to see a business acquaintance in the smoker.
“Well, I’ll see you again,” said Josie, “good-bye! Where are you going to stop in Cincinnati? I may go out to Walnut Hills with some friends or I’d just love to see you sometime. Where’d you say you were stopping? Not that I’d have any time for you. My friends are awfully smart. Money to burn. Cars and just everything. I’ll be dated up for every minute. Only going to be here one night anyhow. Where’d you say?”