"You won't," he said; "you are the best sport going!"
Her face reddened with pleasure. "Oh, I don't know," she disclaimed, modestly.
It was at this moment that Laura's considerate delay ended. "I'm off!" she called, gaily, from the hall; "Howard needn't come until he is good and ready!"
He was ready in a flash. He gave Frederica's hand a hearty squeeze, then turned to help Laura down the front steps.
Fred closed the door upon them, and went back into the parlor. "He is going away," she said to herself, blankly. Her knees felt queer, and she sat down. "Well, at any rate, Morty didn't butt in; I couldn't have borne that...."
Out in the wintry dusk, the other two were silent for a while. Then Maitland said, "How can she stand that house?"
"She's perfectly fine," Laura said, loyally.
"She's a stunner," the young man declared; "I never knew anybody just like her. Big, you know. Straightforward. I take off my hat to Fred in everything!"
Laura gave him a swift look. ("Have they fixed it up?" she thought; "I gave 'em time enough!")
"But I wish she wouldn't mix up with Smith," he said.