Then remembering a warning, she said: “But you’ve got to find a real worthy reason for his coming East, because I know my Dad!”
“I’ll have you approve the reason before I send it West—how will that do?”
“I think you will do well. Because I may be able to make a suggestion—knowing my father as I do.”
Mr. Latimer laughed and patted Polly on the head. “Well, now that that is settled, let us talk about Jim and Ken. You know, do you not, that we expect them home in a few days?”
“I didn’t know, but I took for granted that they would soon be home for the Holidays. Although it seems like yesterday that they were home for Thanksgiving Week.”
“Not to Jim’s mother and me. We miss him very much, as he always was such a lively boy at home.”
“I’m afraid we won’t see much of him this time. He never even called us on the ’phone when he came from New Haven to see Ruth Ashby, two weeks ago Sunday,” said Polly, never dreaming that his father was ignorant of the visit.
“He didn’t! Then Ken should have called on you. He did not come to see a girl, too, did he?”
“Oh, Ken never knew Jim was coming—so Ruth told us. Jim telephoned her early Sunday morning and found she would be home, so he ran in Town on the noon train and stayed until the nine o’clock.”
“I’ll see that Jim does not go back on his first loves quite so suddenly,” laughed Mr. Latimer, thinking of the teasing he would give Jim.