“Where is Ann Maria?” asked Lilian, mischievously.
“At Aunt Katherine’s, as usual. Why, Lilian!” exclaimed Philip, as he began to understand the meaning of her question. “Did you—do you think I care especially for Ann Maria?”
But before Lilian could answer that question, Cathalina leaned forward with some remark to Philip, and then they had arrived in front of the apartment building. Saying to both Lilian and Dick that he planned to “run over” in the evening, Philip drove off with Cathalina to the Van Buskirk home, where welcome waited for Cathalina.
Lilian’s heart was not beating in quite normal fashion as Philip asked that last question, but as she rode up in the elevator with Dick she put the matter temporarily out of her mind, and prepared to meet her dear people.
“Oh, what a dear apartment!” she exclaimed, after the first greetings were over. “And here are all our nice old things, Father’s law books and all, and grandmother’s old mahogany. Why, it seems like home, after all. I guess home is chiefly folks and a few of the things you love. And it will be so easy to do things here.”
“I found a good woman to come twice a week, and the rest I shall do myself. Come, see the new gas range; and Father and Dick have brought in all sorts of electrical utensils, toaster, grill—here they are. But when you have rested, I want to hear you sing.”
“Oh, yes. You know I could not keep away from the piano, my beloved piano!—and I have all sorts of pretty new things. Some of them my teacher gave me, and some of them I just picked up from hearing what the other girls sang. Eloise and I have been getting some pretty duets. I thought perhaps Philip and I might sing together, too.”
“Has Philip written to you steadily, Lilian?” asked her mother.
“Yes, about every week.”
“You are pretty young, daughter, for anything serious.”