“How have you been feeling, Momsey?” Joe asked when they had settled down in a cosy corner of the living room. “It seems to me that you’re a little thinner than you were.”
“I’m not feeling any too well,” replied Mrs. Matson. “I have trouble with my breathing whenever I go up or down stairs. But I’ll be all right pretty soon,” she added, with an attempt at brightness.
“I’m afraid you’ve been working too hard, Momsey,” replied Joe, patting her hand. “Why don’t you let me get you a maid to help out with the work? The money doesn’t matter, and you know how glad I’d be to bear the expense.”
“I don’t want any regular servant, Joe,” replied Mrs. Matson. “I haven’t been used to one, and she’d be more bother than help. We have a wash woman. There isn’t much to be done in this little house, and Clara is the dearest girl. If I did what she wanted, I’d just fold my hands and sit around in the living room. And Mabel, too, has spoiled me since she’s been here. She’s already like a second daughter to me.”
“She’ll be really your daughter before long, if I have anything to say about it,” replied Joe. “I’m going to put it right up to her to marry me while I’m here this time.”
Mrs. Matson was both delighted and flustered at the boldness of this announcement.
“You take my breath away, talking like that,” she replied. “But I’m afraid Mabel won’t let herself be carried off her feet in that way. A girl wants to get her trousseau ready. And then, too, she’ll want to be married in her father’s house. You’re a dear boy, Joe, but you’ve got a lot to learn about women.”
“Mabel will agree all right,” replied Joe confidently, though his masculine assurance had been slightly dashed by his mother’s prediction.
The opportunity to make sure about that important matter came a few minutes later, when Mabel came into the room looking more lovely, Joe thought, than he had ever seen her before. Mrs. Matson lingered only a moment longer, and then made an excuse to leave the room. The door had hardly closed behind her before Mabel was in Joe’s arms.
It was a long time before they were able to talk coherently, and when at last Mabel told Joe that he was too greedy and laughingly bade him be sensible, she was more rosy and beautiful than ever, and Joe was deeper in love than before, if that could be possible.