"She's all right," he nodded. A moment later he added: "She comes from
Massachusetts."
Valerie laughed: "The sacred codfish smiled on your cradle, too, didn't it, John?"
"Yes, thank God," he said seriously…. "I was born in the old town of
Hitherford."
"How funny!" exclaimed the girl.
"What is there funny about that?" demanded John.
"Why, Rita was born in Hitherford."
"Hitherford Centre," corrected John. "Her father was a clergyman there."
"Oh; so you knew it?"
"I knew, of course, that she was from Massachusetts," said John, "because she speaks English properly. So I asked her where she was born and she told me…. My grandfather knew hers."
"Isn't it—curious," mused the girl.