“Why don’t you come with us?” said Terry. “I have three tickets and intended taking both Gloria and Ruth if they would go.”
“Please, Miss Ruth, will you let me go with you? I’ll walk a few paces in the rear and be a good little boy,” said Ben. “You really must be kind to me, because I’m going into rehearsals for another trip to the coast with a company that will probably go at least as far as Buffalo. You’ll miss my cheery smile when I am far away.”
“Then we’ll all go together,” agreed Ruth, rather annoyed that Terry should have suggested that Ben go with them. Evidently he considered her too young to be an interesting companion and would be glad to have another man to talk to. It was perhaps for this reason that when they started out she directed most of her smiles and conversation to the erstwhile neglected Ben, making that young man beam with pleasure, while Terry seemed not to observe his neglected state at all.
“What’s wrong, old chap? You are as solemn as an owl and you ought to be as happy as larks are supposed to be, with a real, honest-to-goodness show on Broadway,” said Ben.
“It’s going off next week,” said Terry. “It’s been nothing but a paper house for a week, and they’re going to try it on the road; I don’t seem to have the trick or the recipe for success.”
“I’m so sorry; perhaps it will go well on the road,” said Ruth.
“Don’t feel sorry; it doesn’t matter very much; I’ll write another. A man must do something and if I grow very successful I might be tempted to stop.”
“Yes, one must play some game; that’s what Professor Pendragon says.”
“That’s right, you met Gloria’s husband, didn’t you? What’s he like?”
“Very nice; I’ll tell you later all about it.”