“Your penetration, Mr. Towne,” answered Ned graciously, “is most remarkable.” Then he began to talk golf to Kendall, and five minutes later Harold said he had promised to see a fellow and took his departure. Ned heaved a sigh of relief when the door had closed behind him.
“I can’t stand that fellow,” he said. “He gets me so nervous!”
Kendall laughed. “I don’t mind him as much as I did,” he said. “He means well enough, I guess.”
“All right in his way, but doesn’t weigh enough,” replied Ned flippantly. “Well, out with it, Curt.”
“Out with what?”
“I don’t know. Whatever it is. You’ve been fairly dying to tell me something ever since I got here. So let’s have it.”
“I don’t see how you knew,” said Kendall. “I was just going to tell you that Mr. Collins called me down to his study this afternoon and—”
“Wait! Don’t tell me that you’re off probation!”
Kendall nodded. Ned made a gesture of disappointment.
“Isn’t that the dickens?” he exclaimed. “Just when I was getting interested in you, too! I’ve never been chummy with a ‘real devil’ of a fellow before, and now you go and reform!”