"Well?"
"My goodness, Miss Ruth! You say that calmly enough. How would you like to be nagged in such a way continually? It's no fun I can assure you."
Ruth laughed one of her hearty, delightful laughs that made even the vexed Luke join in.
"It's like Aunt Sarah," confessed Ruth. "She thinks very poorly of men, and is always advising Agnes and me to 'escape the wrath to come' by joining the spinster sisterhood."
"But you haven't—you won't?" gasped Luke in horror.
At that the oldest Corner House girl laughed again, and Luke found himself flushing and feeling rather shamefaced.
"Oh, well," he said, "you know what I mean. You girls wouldn't really be influenced by such foolishness?"
"Doesn't Neighbor influence you?" Ruth asked him quickly.
"No, indeed. Not even when he tries to bribe me. He can keep his old money."
"But he has been your good friend," the girl said slowly and thoughtfully. "And Cecile says he has promised to do much for you."