“I’m sure he would; I’ll ask him,” rising hurriedly.
“Duncan is out just now,” put in Mrs. Fordyce. “He telephoned he would lunch at the club.”
“I’ll let you know as soon as he comes in,” promised Janet, dropping down on the sofa beside Pauline.
“You are very good to invite my girl and boy,” said Mrs. Fordyce. “I thank you for giving them so much pleasure.”
“The pleasure is mine,” insisted Pauline, lending undue emphasis to the hackneyed phrase. “I regret I was only able to get four seats together, Janet, and therefore cannot ask Miss Langdon to accompany us. Captain Nichols has already promised to make the fourth in our small party.”
“We have not seen much of Captain Nichols lately,” commented Mrs. Fordyce.
“Nor we,” answered Pauline. “I met him just as I was leaving the theater this morning, and asked him then and there, to my relief, for it is almost impossible to get him on the telephone. He tells me his quarters are not connected with the post ’phone, and he has to go to the officers’ club to get and send messages.”
“What keeps him so busy?” Janet examined Pauline’s jewel-studded gold mesh bag with open admiration.
“When I taxed him with not calling, he said his official duties had kept him tied to Fort Myer. That excuse covers his not visiting us”—with an affected laugh, “but of course, there’s another reason for his not calling here....”
“And pray, what is that?” demanded Mrs. Fordyce, eyeing her daughter’s flushed countenance intently.