“A spade is a spade,” returned Jim. “I think it’s silly to worry about Gail’s matrimonial prospects. Whenever she’s ready to be married, she’ll look them all over, and pick out the one who suits her. All she’ll have to say is ‘Eeny-meeny-miny-moe, you’re it,’ and the fellow will rush right out and be measured for his suit.”
“Just the same, I’d rather she’d be here when she counts out,” laughed Lucile.
“So would I,” agreed Jim; “but, after all, there are good men everywhere. Girls get married out in the middle-west as well as here, and live happily ever after.”
“They grow fine men out there,” stated Mrs. Sargent, with a complimentary glance at her husband. She had never wavered in her opinion of that fine man.
“Right you are,” agreed Sargent heartily. “They have not the polish of eastern men perhaps, but they have a strength, and forcefulness, and virility, which carries them through. There are men out there, stacks of them, who would appeal to any bright and vivacious woman, sweep her off her feet, carry her away by storm, and make her forget a lot of things. If any handsome woman is unappreciated in New York, all she has to do is to go out to the middle-west.”
Lucile, listening to the innocently blundering speech of Gail’s proud uncle, watched Gerald with intense interest. She could scarcely believe the startling idea which had popped into her head! Gerald’s only apparent deviation from his normal attitude had consisted in abstractedly staring into the fire, instead of paying polite attention to every one, but that he had heard was evidenced by the shifting glance he gave Sargent. Otherwise he had not moved.
“You scare me,” said Lucile, still watching Gerald. “I’m not going to leave Gail out there any longer. I’m going to have her back at once.”
Gerald raised his head immediately, and smiled at her.
“Splendid,” he approved. “Fact of the matter is,” and he hesitated an instant, “I’m becoming extremely lonesome.”
Even Ted detected something in Gerald’s tone and in his face.