“Thank you, Mr. Durland. I’ve been wanting to get an expert opinion on those points for a long time. I tell you,” he said glancing round at the others, “it does tickle me to run into a man who really knows.”
“Father’s an authority on those things,” said Grace proudly. “He reads everything that’s written on mechanics.”
“Stephen ought to know!” remarked Mrs. Durland with a sigh which Grace translated as signifying that it was too bad that his knowing really profited him so little.
“We’re so sorry,” said Mrs. Durland, when the cold ham, baked potatoes and canned peas had received attention and Ethel brought in a bread pudding—“it’s a great grief to all of us that Grace had to leave college. It meant so much to her. But her spirit about it all has been fine.”
“Well,” remarked John, after he had met Ethel’s apology for the pudding with the assurance that it was his favorite of all desserts—“Well, I’m not sure it isn’t a good thing for Grace to go into business for awhile. I argue that things somehow work out for good in the long run. Her English and the sociology courses were what interested her most; and being in a big place like Shipley’s and running into all sorts and conditions of folks the way she’s got to is bound to have a broadening effect. It’s right along the line of things she’s keenest about.”
“But, Mr. Moore, what we don’t like is the unfortunate contacts with people who may not be—wholly desirable acquaintances,” suggested Ethel.
Grace frowned. It was ungracious of Ethel to draw John into the discussion of a subject that had been a matter of contention in the family. But John, having convinced Mrs. Durland of his appreciation of her hospitality by accepting a second helping of the pudding, met the situation promptly.
“Well, now Miss Durland, who’s going to draw the line between the desirable and undesirable? Now I’m not saying that we haven’t a right to choose our friends; but for me, I like all kinds. Why, on that farm in Kansas where I slept in the hay mow for the sake of the ventilation and to study the constellations through the cracks, a fugitive burglar crawled in one night and we nearly scared each other to death! But I made a friend of that poor chap. Tucked him away and fed him for a couple of days. Had a letter from him last week. He’s away up in Canada working in a lumber camp. Now sleeping in the hay with that poor devil didn’t do me any harm. Maybe I did him some good! He swore he wasn’t guilty, so my conscience was easy about not calling up the sheriff and turning him over. Give everybody the benefit of the doubt; that’s my idea!”
It was not Ethel’s way to give any one the benefit of the doubt. Mr. Durland covered a queer little chuckle by pretending to cough. Grace tried to change the subject; but Ethel was not to be thwarted in her attempt to elicit from John an expression of disapproval of Grace’s course in becoming a salesgirl.
“That’s a good story, Mr. Moore, but when you think of a girl like Grace, being numbered and put in with girls who’ve had nothing like her advantages—that’s what I meant. Not that Grace won’t be equal to the test, but——”