“Yes, I was just starting, Dick. Anything up?”
“Not much. I wanted to talk to you about a chap for Jack’s place.”
“Oh! You—you haven’t changed your mind about that, then?”
“No.” Dick’s voice sounded amused.
“Well——” Gordon frowned at the telephone instrument. “I’ll be over right away, Dick.”
Dick was on the porch, in spite of the fact that it was raining briskly, and his sister, Grace, was with him. Grace was thirteen and a very pretty girl, with dark hair and eyes. She was enveloped in a long apron and had her sleeves rolled up to her elbows and explained to Gordon that she was in the middle of washing up the dinner dishes.
“Dick called me out to read me a perfectly ridiculous story in the paper,” she laughed. “Read to Gordon, Dick, and see if he thinks it funny.”
Dick laughed. “Grace was born without a sense of humor, Gordie, and I find I can’t educate her.”
“Sense of humor!” scoffed Grace. “That story isn’t the least bit funny. I’ll leave it to Gordon.” She jumped up. “I must finish those dishes.”
“What’s the story?” asked Gordon, seating himself well away from the dripping vines.