“Send word to my sister, over at Fairview. She may hear something about this, and imagine it’s worse than it is. I’d like her to get it straight. I got a letter from dad to-day, too, saying mother was a little better. I’d like sis to read it.”
“I’ll go myself, and start right away!” exclaimed Tom enthusiastically. “I can get permission easily enough, for I’ve been doing good work in class lately. I’ll come back on the midnight trolley.”
“You’re awfully anxious to go, aren’t you?” asked Sid.
“Of course,” replied Tom. “Why do you speak so?”
“I believe Miss Madge Tyler attends at Fairview,” went on Sid to no one in particular, and there was a mocking smile on his face.
“Oh, you just wait!” cried Tom, shaking his fist at his chum, who sank down into the depths of the old easy chair, and held up his feet as fenders to keep the indignant one at a distance. “You’ll get yours good and proper some day.”
“Well, if you’re going, you’d better start,” said Phil. “I forgot, though. You’ve never met my sister. That’s a go!”
“Can’t you give me a note to her?” asked Tom, who was fertile in expedients where young ladies were concerned.
“I guess so. Lucky it’s my left instead of my right shoulder that’s out of business. Give me some paper, Sid.”
“Tom doesn’t need a note,” was the opinion of the amateur woman-hater. “He’ll see Miss Tyler, and she’ll introduce him.”