“And,” she continued, “not going, I hate to—well, I sort of hated to make all the long explanations to my girl friends at home.”
“I don’t blame you one bit,” again assisted Trixy. “Girls are loves, but the best of us just eat up sensation. Even the girls around here gobble up their share of it,” she added mysteriously.
“You mean about me?”
“About any one, you, me, or any one else,” replied Trixy. “But I’ll tell you, Glo,” she continued, “just don’t give them any satisfaction. Keep them guessing. That’s the way to make them feel your importance.”
This was welcome advice to Gloria. She really saw nothing to do but to keep the curious ones “guessing,” for, as a matter of fact, she was still guessing herself.
There was little time for further confidence, but the wedge had been driven in and the subject was bound to be renewed at the first opportunity.
Gloria felt more and more keenly now that she would positively have to fight this irritating suspicion.
“Anything but disgrace,” she found herself reflecting over and over again. She recalled how she had pitied folks who could not pay their bills, and how she had at one time coaxed Jane to lend the Stanleys ten dollars to satisfy a very urgent claim being pressed by Tommy’s store.
She felt like a culprit all the afternoon, and decided she would in some way have to put a carefully framed question to her Aunt Hattie that very evening.
But Mrs. Towers was in such splendid spirits when Gloria sought her opportunity!