Susan spent the evening in innocently amorous dreams, over her game of patience. What a wonderful thing, if one loved a man, to fare forth into the world with him as his wife!----
"I have about as much chance with Joe Carroll as a dead rat," said Billy suddenly. He was busied with his draughting board and the little box of draughts-man's instruments that Susan always found fascinating, and had been scowling and puffing over his work.
"Why?" Susan asked, laughing outright. "Oh, she's so darn busy!" Billy said, and returned to his work.
Susan pondered it. She wished she were so "darned" busy that Peter Coleman might have to scheme and plan to see her.
"That's why men's love affairs are considered so comparatively unimportant, I suppose," she submitted presently. "Men are so busy!"
Billy paid no attention to the generality, and Susan pursued it no further.
But after awhile she interrupted him again, this time in rather an odd tone.
"Billy, I want to ask you something---"
"Ask away," said Billy, giving her one somewhat startled glance.
Susan did not speak immediately, and he did not hurry her. A few silent minutes passed before she laid a card carefully in place, studied it with her head on one side, and said casually, in rather a husky voice: