“No, won’t do. Might all be out. All up with us then. Lightning-rod man would wait a week, watch until he saw us go out, tiptoe up-stairs and slip his card under the door. I couldn’t call again without upsetting everything. They’d think I was trying to ‘butt in.’ Better way would be to write the mother a note.”
“What kind of a note? Here, catch this box.”
“That’s the devil of it, Sam, I don’t exactly know. I’m thinking it over.”
“Well, I’ll tell you what to say, and I’m not thinking it over. Say you’re dead stuck on her daughter, and want to see more of her. That you’re going to get up a musicale which you can’t afford, and that you—oh, drop it, Joe, she’ll be asking us both to tea before the week is out, and before a month the whole family will be borrowing everything we own, and we’ll have to move out to get rid of them. I got a crack at the mother a day or two ago. You didn’t see her this morning because you had gone up on ahead, but a boy rang her bell as I passed. One of these short, old family portraits kind of woman. Round and dry as a bunch of lavender. Girl might be well enough, but my advice is to cut it all out. Get a new line. We’ve got a lot of work to do. I’ve carried the ground-plan as far as I can go, and you’ve got to pitch into the details.”
Joe had dropped his feet to the floor, had squared himself at his desk, and was half through a note. Sam had finished his outburst. His partner’s advice on matters connected with their profession Joe always respected; to listen to his views on social affairs was so much wasted time.
The note finished, Joe shifted his seat and faced his partner, the letter in his hand.
“Now, shut up, you hod-carrier, and pay attention. This is what I call a corker! And you needn’t try to alter a line, because it’s going just as it is.
“Dear Mrs. Ford:
“Would you think me presuming if I asked you to relieve the loneliness of the two young men who occupy the third floor over your head? Mr. Atwater and I have invited a few friends to come to our rooms on Friday of this week at nine o’clock to listen to some good music, and we would be most grateful if you and Mr. Ford and your daughter would join the company,
“Yours sincerely,
“Joseph Grimsby.”