That is, Mrs. MacCall, Agnes, and Neale were amused. Tess merely said seemingly apropos of nothing at all:
"Our Ruthie never did like boys before. But I guess Mr. Luke must be different."
"He isn't as nice as Neale," Dot proclaimed, loyal to the older friend, "but I like him."
Mr. Howbridge chanced to call—or was it chance! At any rate, he met Luke Shepard and his sister and seemed to approve of both of them.
"Your young friends are remarkably attractive, I am sure, Ruth," the lawyer said, with twinkling eyes as he was going. "Let me see, there's no danger yet of a dowry being wanted out of that idle money we are going to have—for Agnes, for instance?"
Ruth blushed furiously. She was getting that habit, it seemed, of late.
"I do wish, Mr. Howbridge, that you wouldn't joke so—"
"On such very serious subjects?" he interposed.
"It would be very serious indeed if our Agnes thought of such things. At her age!"
"True. And, of course, nobody else in this house could possibly bear such a thing in mind. Good-bye, my dear. Of course, if anything should happen, let me know at once."