“I just wanted to tell you something,” the boy answered. “While you were practicing, Gerald Banks came up here in his automobile. He wanted to see you. I told him he couldn’t as you were very busy practicing.”
Dorothy liked to have Jim assume authority over her in this manner, and questioned gayly: “Well, Father Jim, what did he want?”
“He just wanted to take you autoing in the morning,” Jim replied, “so I went upstairs to Aunt Betty and told her.”
“Dear, thoughtful Jim,” interrupted Dorothy. “What did Aunt Betty have to say?”
“Aunt Betty said,” replied Jim, “that he could come around about ten o’clock to-morrow morning and take you and Alfy to Herr Deichenberg’s when you could take your lesson. Then—well, I guess I won’t tell you. I will let you be surprised. You wait and see!”
“Oh, Jim! Please, please tell me? I must know now, really I must. Please, please,” begged Dorothy.
“I shan’t tell,” remarked Jim, slowly walking away from her.
“Jim! Jim!” called Dorothy, running after him. “Dear Jim, please, please tell me.”
“Girls certainly are curious creatures,” soliloquized Jim, as Dorothy had turned on her heel and was walking quickly toward the door, saying to herself, but loud enough for Jim to hear, “Well, Aunt Betty will tell me, I’m sure.”
“Aunt Betty. Oh, Aunt Betty!” called Dorothy as she burst into the sewing room where Aunt Betty and Alfy were still sewing. “Jim says—oh, I mean, you must tell me what the surprise is for to-morrow. He said Gerald would take me to Herr Deichenberg’s for my lesson in the morning and then he wouldn’t tell me any more.”