"Don't you expect ever to get married?"
"Why,—er,—naturally I—" he stammered, bewildered at this astonishing attack.
"Because if you want to remain a bachelor, I would advise you not to ask any one of half a dozen girls in this town that I could mention. They would take you so quick your head would swim."
By this time he had recovered himself. Affecting grave solicitude, he inquired:
"Is there any one here that you would particularly desire as a sister-in-law?"
She shook her head, almost pensively. "I don't want you to bring any more trouble into the family than you've already brought, and goodness knows THAT would be doing it. But I shouldn't have said that, Kenny. There are lots of fine, lovely girls here. I wouldn't know which one to pick out for you if you were to ask me to do your choosing."
"I will leave it entirely in your hands," said he, grinning boyishly. "Pick me out a nice, amiable, rather docile young lady,—some one who will come the nearest to being a perfect sister-in-law, and I will begin sparking her at once. By the way, I hope matters are going more smoothly for you and Barry."
Her face clouded. She shot a suspicious, questioning look at him.
"I—I want to talk to you about Barry some day," she said seriously.
"You seemed to resent it most bitterly the last time I attempted to talk to you about him," said he, somewhat pointedly.