“How very nice! And she never said a word about it.”
“She’s an awfully good scout,” said Jim fervently, if a bit irrelevantly.
“To-morrow,” he went on, “I hope to have you meet Mother and Dad. I told them all about you when I ran out home for lunch, and they want you, and the others too, of course, to come out for afternoon tea to-morrow.”
“I shall love seeing them, and your home, Jim.”
“They’ll love you, too. I’m going to have Griff there. I guess I’ll ask him for to-night too; and Pierce, if I can get hold of him.”
“Jim, you’re extravagant, taking such a big party out to dinner; though of course it would be loads of fun.”
“I have my whole summer’s pay, and we must celebrate some way.”
“Celebrate what?” asked Nancy quickly; but Jim only looked at her and laughed.
At six o’clock he was back at the apartment, bringing Griff with him. After introductions were over, they sat in the little living room waiting for John Pierce. Griff, a tall, blond youth, proved to be as lively and unconventional as Jim was serious and reserved. He roamed restlessly about, taking up ornaments and books and setting them down again, stumbling over footstools (whether accidentally of intentionally, it was difficult to tell), and getting into people’s way generally.
“Excuse it, please,” he said, as he bumped into Martha who was just turning away from the window for the third time.