“Oh, no!” she said, recollecting herself. “It is not serious. It has happened before, and I know just what to do.”
“Then I’ll be stepping,” said Joe. He lingered, allowing his glance to travel wistfully around the pleasant interior.
“I’m sure we both thank you,” said the lady uneasily. “I wish. . . .”
Joe looked up encouragingly, but she didn’t go on.
“We both thank you very much indeed!”
“Don’t mention it, ma’am,” said Joe. “. . . My name is Joseph Kaplan,” he added suggestively, and lingered still.
“Yes?” she said with a strained smile.
She became very uncomfortable, but Joe couldn’t get her over the sticking point. There was nothing more he could do without showing his hand. He thought: Oh, well, I can come back to ask how the other one is getting on. He said softly:
“Good-night, lady,” and with a wistful glance in her face, let himself out of the door.
She was left standing in the hall looking unhappy. As soon as he was gone, she could not understand how she could have shown such a lack of proper feeling toward that poor boy. She wanted to call him back.