She ate a lunch and was in readiness to receive him when he called. She noticed that he carried an injured air, and proceeded to explain at once why she was not back early as she expected. (After her explanation his feelings were considerably mollified.)
"Ruth," he said, "I am leaving on the four-forty train in the morning. I am going to the state capital."
"Will you be gone long?"
"Only a day or so. I have a chance for a big job there—a hotel. If I am fortunate enough to land it, I shall have to make several trips up there."
"I certainly hope you land it. You richly deserve to."
"Thank you."
"Pardon the intrusion," said Mr. Babcock, as he entered. "How are you, Mr. King? You are certainly looking fine." Ruth had thought so too but had not told him.
"I am feeling fine. I hope you are feeling better."
"Not much change in my condition. I am reading 'Macbeth.' I just stepped in to get a commentary on Shakespeare. 'Macbeth' is a great play. Duncan and I had very bitter experiences with the man whom we trusted. Duncan was murdered by his kinsman, Macbeth, whom he had honored and in whom he had implicit confidence. I was robbed by a man whom I trusted and to whom I was foolish enough to teach the combination to my safe."
When he had left the room Ruth remarked, "Poor, dear father, he tries so hard to remember. The other night when he was reading 'Macbeth' he looked up from his reading and remarked, 'It seems to me I have read this play before.' He was only in the second act then and he laid the book down and spent the rest of the evening trying to recall the remainder of the play. He worried about it and I had a hard time to persuade him to give it up and retire at eleven-thirty. I am so anxious to take him to Dr. Lilly, and it's only going to be a little while until we can go. I have two hundred dollars in my special fund now, and when I save fifty more I am going to take him."