“Who is she? Let’s get that settled first.”
“Oh, she’s a girl I used to know. I haven’t seen her for two years. I thought she had forgotten my existence.”
“Call her up on the phone. If we don’t solve this mystery we shan’t sleep to-night. It’s like Robinson Crusoe and the footprint.”
Ruth went to the telephone. After a short conversation she turned to Kirk with sparkling eyes and the air of one with news to impart.
“Kirk! She wants you to paint her portrait!”
“What!”
“She’s engaged to Bailey! Just got engaged! And the first thing she does is to insist on his letting her come to you for her portrait,” Ruth bubbled with laughter. “It’s to be a birthday present for Bailey, and Bailey has got to pay for it. That’s so exactly like Sybil.”
“I hope the portrait will be. She’s taking chances.”
“I think it’s simply sweet of her. She’s a real friend.”
“At fairly long intervals, apparently. Did you say you had not seen her for two years?”