“Vera!” cried Mabel.
“Winthrop—coming here?” demanded Mannie.
“I met him at Mr. Hallowell’s this morning,” said Vera. “Didn’t Paul tell you?”
“Paul ain’t back yet,” said Mannie. “I wish he was!” His lower jaw dropped in dazed bewilderment. “Winthrop—coming here?” he repeated. “And they’re all coming here!” he exclaimed excitedly. “Paul just phoned me. They’ve taken Gaylor in with them, and we’re all working together now on some game for tonight. And Winthrop’s coming here!” He shook his head decidedly, importantly. As the only man of the family present, he felt he must meet this crisis. “Paul won’t stand for it!” he declared.
“Well, Paul will just have to stand for it!” retorted Mrs. Vance.
With a murmur of sympathy she crossed to Vera. “I’m not going to see our Vera disappointed,” she announced. “She never sees no company. Vera, if Mr. Winthrop comes when that bunch is here, I’ll show him into the front parlor.”
Vera sat down in front of the piano and let her fingers drop upon the keys. The look of eagerness and anticipation had left her eyes.
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, “that I want to see him—now.”
With complete misunderstanding, Mannie demanded truculently, “Why not?” His loyalty to Vera gave him courage, in her behalf, to face even a District Attorney. “He doesn’t think he’s coming here to make trouble for you, does he?”
Vera shook her head and, bending over the piano, struck a few detached chords.