Marjorie and Robin could not refrain from laughing at his revelation. They could picture the rows of exclusive but certain-to-be-very-hungry girls meekly sitting watching the dormitory girls eat up the turkey for which they were yearning. The pure democracy of the Italian’s plan robbed them both temporarily of ready acknowledgment of his generosity.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m simply flabbergasted!” Robin finally exclaimed.
“You don’t like?” The little man glanced anxiously from one girl to the other. “I don’t un’erstan’ that word flab—flab—.” He gave a half puzzled, half smiling shake of the head.
“Indeed we do like your plan. By flabbergasted I mean that I am so surprised and delighted. I’ll say the word slowly for you.” Robin pronounced it by syllables.
“So-o-o. I listen.” He made Robin say it over several times. “It is a long word. I like the long words in American.” He repeated the word until he appeared to know it.
Marjorie had a shrewd suspicion that he had seized upon the strange word as a means of hiding his embarrassment at his own generosity.
“What you think, Miss Dean?” He suddenly fixed a pair of penetrating black eyes upon her. “You like, too?”
“Like your plan? I should say I did.” Marjorie bent her friendliest smile upon the devoted adherent of the dormitory cause.
“You couldn’t do anything that would bring more happiness to the off-campus girls, Signor Baretti,” Robin told him. “They will feel so proud and happy to be invited by you to a private Thanksgiving dinner. But you mustn’t forget the campus girls. You know your restaurant is the Hamilton girls’ favorite tea room. I simply have to put in a good word for them, too,” she ended loyally.
“Yes, yes; I un’erstan.’ I know what you mean,” the Italian assured. “Oo-oo, many nice studen’s come here, don’t go another tea shop. All the rest of the day after half past two is for them. My ten tables are all reserve for after the dorm dinner. In my restaurant I can put more tables. That is no good. Some studen’s come here I don’t like. They eat here same time as dorm girls maybe they make the trouble. Miss Car-rins ask me for the Thanksgivin’ table. I don’t give her one.” He waved a prohibitive finger in the air. “She can start the trouble from nothin’. You know now she lives in the town?”