“You see, Eth, you’re a very captivating beggar; you have a wonderful way with the fair sex. For instance, there was that girl at college——”
“Cut it out,” growled Ethan.
“Still touchy? Well, I wasn’t taking any chances. Being interested over this way myself I thought I’d better take a run over and look after things. Thought maybe you were making love to my girl; poaching, you know. Couldn’t have blamed you, old chap, for she’s just about the swellest thing you ever saw.”
“So you came up to head me off, eh?” inquired Ethan uninterestedly.
“Exactly. And found to my surprise that you hadn’t been near the honey. You don’t know what you’ve missed, Eth. They’re awfully nice folks, the whole push; and they’d have been tickled to death to have you call. Why didn’t you?”
“Consideration for your future happiness, Vin,” answered the other calmly.
“And you haven’t been near the place?”
“I got as far as the gate one day when taking a walk.”