There was an unmistakable pride in the confession. The school-teacher evidently held a rather superior place in the social life of the neighborhood, and again Billy felt the nearness of a kindred interest. At the same time he interpreted something of reproach in the words “if you’d been down to our club meetings oftener....”
Unfortunately the club met on Tuesday evenings and Miss Evison seemed to be free more often on Tuesday than on other nights of the week. Frequently when he was about ready to leave the office the ’phone would ring and the familiar flute-like voice would pipe, “I was afraid you might have gone. I meant to call all afternoon and had almost forgotten.” Then the tone would drop almost to a whisper, “I’m afraid I’ve been very stingy of my time lately, but we’d have the whole evening to ourselves if you’d care to come to-night.”
Once he had been obliged to tell her that this was the night when his Junior Farmers held their meeting and that he had almost promised to be there.
“I’m so sorry,” she replied, with touching
plaintiveness. “We’re having a little euchre. Some friends from town have just dropped in. They’re very informal, and I know you’d enjoy it. You couldn’t leave your precious young farmers for just one night?”
“I’ve done that so many nights. Perhaps I could leave the meeting early and call on the way home?”
She was unmistakably hurt.
“Oh, no; don’t trouble,” she answered quickly. “I wouldn’t think of having you do such a thing. It doesn’t matter. I just thought perhaps you’d like to come.”
Another time he had asked her to come with him. It was an evening when girls attended.
“You know,” she said, “it’s very sweet of you to offer to take me right into your Holy-of-Holies to hear how they feed their calves and the like, but it would be casting your pearls before a very ungrateful little pig. I wouldn’t enjoy it a bit. And I think, too, if you’ll take an experienced person’s advice, that you’re getting too much of it yourself. Do you know that you’ve talked to me an hour now, about waterwheels?”