"Why, Father, you ate it yourself! You ate it while you said good-morning to Joy!"
"You seem to have made one fast friend, Joy," pursued Allan, dismissing the subject of the cherry for later consideration. "Rutherford confided to me last night that he thought he had been working too hard; he isn't returning to his native heath for a month more. His aunt's been pressing him to stay on, and he thinks he will. He's coming over to see me this morning. He's devoted to me," stated Allan sweetly. "There's nothing he needs more than my friendship. He explained it to me."
Phyllis and he both laughed.
"You always did have winning ways, Allan," said his wife mischievously. "When is John expected to drop in? He, too, loves you—don't forget that!"
Allan grinned.
"Poor old Johnny has to look after his patients. He can't very well snatch a vacation in his own home town. It's a hard world for gentlemen, Joy!"
Phyllis looked from one to the other of them with an answering light of mischief in her eyes.
"I suppose John could take anybody he liked to hold the car, couldn't he?" she said demurely. "In fact—he has!"
"If you mean me," answered Joy, "he was very severe with me yesterday. John is bringing me up in the way I should go!" The feeling of vivid excitement was still carrying her along, and she laughed as she answered them.
Allan looked at her critically.