“HELLO!” roared the voice again. “Hello, Bangs! Are you there?”
“Oh, yes—ah—yes. I am here. Quite so—yes.”
“Well, I'm glad. I thought you might have gone clamming or something. Well, I asked if you knew who this was? Do you?”
Galusha swallowed, shut his eyes, and then faced the inevitable.
“It—it is Cousin Gussie, isn't it?” he faltered.
He heard, or imagined that he did, a little gasp of surprise from Miss Phipps. He did not dare look again in her direction.
“That's right,” said the voice. “You're a good guesser. How are you, anyway?”
Galusha stammered that he was very well. He added that he was glad to see his relative. The relative promptly observed that his eyesight must be remarkably good.
“You know what I've called you up for, of course?” she added.
Martha had risen and was leaving the room on tiptoe.