Stroth smiled whimsically as he retorted:
“I certainly am boss when you’re around, honey. There can be no denying that; I’m just positively tyrannical.”
She greeted this with a delightful hilarity, that fully riveted any verdict of the love between this father and daughter.
But for all his excellent acting, I could read considerable perturbation in Stroth.
“Well, sure enough, dad, I didn’t really mean to interrupt you, but Saki told me that dinner would be ready in about five minutes, and I just——”
That instant she caught sight of the plate in the tray, and made a step toward it, adding:
“I certainly hope I didn’t spoil——”
But, before she could get a fair look, Stroth sprang past her, and caught up the tray.
“No, no, Stella,” said he, “you didn’t spoil anything. It’ll be all right. You see, I——”
He kept whirling the solution across the face of the plate.