“Women never listen to anything,” Dick said profoundly, “unless they’re doing it on purpose, 95 or they happen to be interested. I imagine Caroline is a little less tractable, but Nancy is capable of doing the most damage. She works with concrete materials. Caroline’s kit is crammed with nothing but ideas.”
“Nothing but—” Billy groaned.
“As for this cave-man business—theoretically, they ought to react to it,—both of them. They’re both normal, well-balanced young ladies.”
“They’re both runnin’ pretty hard to keep in the same place, just at present.”
“Nancy isn’t doing that—not by a long shot,” Dick said.
“She’s not keeping in the same place certainly,” Billy agreed. “Caroline is all eaten up by this economic independence idea.”
“It’s a good idea,” Dick admitted; “economic conditions are changing. No reason at all that a woman shouldn’t prove herself willing to cope with them, as long as she gets things in the order of their importance. Earning her living isn’t better than the Mother-Home-and-Heaven job. It’s a way out, if she gets left, or gets stung.”
“I’m only thankful Caroline can’t hear you.” 96 Billy raised pious eyes to heaven but he continued more seriously after a second, “It’s all right to theorize, but practically speaking both our girls are getting beyond our control.”
“I’m not engaged to Nancy,” Dick said a trifle stiffly.
“Well, you ought to be,” Billy said.