"I can't quite promise that," she answered. "But there is no need of your avoiding me; and it's absurd for you to feel as you do, that you can't accept any little services from me that might help you in your work. I'm still interested in your success."
"You're tremendously good," he answered, really touched. "I can't say anything, except that I'll try to be worthy of your kindness."
She gave him a half-distressed look, then smiled brightly.
"We won't talk of it any more," she said—"ever. Now do sit down and tell me what you have been doing all this time. How have you been getting along with your work?"
"All right, except one morning when I overslept."
"Overslept? Oh, Kirk!" she said, reproachfully.
"You see, I never got up so early before, except to go duck-hunting, and this is different. Did you ever try rising at five-thirty—in the morning, I mean? You've no idea how it feels. Why, it's hardly light! You can't see to brush your teeth! I suggested to Runnels that we send No. 2 out at eight-thirty instead of six-thirty—that's early enough for anybody—but he didn't seem to take kindly to the thought."
"What did he say when you reported?"
"I didn't consider it proper to listen to all he said, so I retired gracefully. From what I did hear, however, I gathered that he was vaguely offended at something. I tried to explain that I had been out late, but it didn't go."
Edith laughed. "Perhaps I'd better telephone him."