He followed her obediently and they settled themselves in two great soft leather chairs drawn up to a little table, the tray of sandwiches and lemonade between them.
“What’s new?” said Bob.
“It’s dull as can be. Nothing stirring.”
“Who’ve you been seeing?”
“Pretty much of nobody. A few stalemates around the club. That’s all.”
“Then why stay in town? Why don’t you come down to join your mother? It’s really not bad at Nokomis this year. Dot Lodge has two girls from New York visiting her that are pretty snappy. And we’ve gone in for politics. Formed a Republican club.”
“Oh, Lord!” exclaimed Ted. “Torchlight processions and all that? Going to purify politics?”
“Maybe—can’t tell.”
“Maybe not, probably.”
They scuffed around in tawdry repartee, going swiftly through a few motions of convention that seemed to cling to them. But shortly he was sitting on the arm of her chair and then he had her held more closely. For a while she let him fondle her, her cheeks growing hot. Then she returned to her line of attack.