Judy nudged the two friends in the seat ahead of her and confided a desire to do something—anything to make him look up.
“Why, Judy,” Irene replied, shocked. “I’ve been watching that man myself and he’s—he’s——”
“Well, what?”
“Almost my ideal.”
“Silly!” Judy laughed. “I’d like to bet he wouldn’t be so ideal if I did something to disturb those precious papers that he’s reading.”
“I dare you!” Pauline said.
Sixteen or not, the dare tempted Judy. It was an easy matter to let Blackberry out of the hatbox in her arms and down into the aisle. The cat’s plumelike tail did the rest.
The man looked up. But, to Judy’s surprise, he looked up with a smile. Irene, all contrition, hastened to apologize.
“No harm done,” he returned good-naturedly and began collecting his scattered papers. Soon he had them rearranged and resumed his reading. There were a great many typewritten sheets of paper, and he seemed to be reading critically, scratching out something here and adding something there.
“You were wrong,” Irene said, turning to Judy. “See how nice he was.”