“That she turned him down?”
“She declined to marry him.”
Her husband seemed unable to grasp such a fact. Never had it occurred to Shotwell Senior that any living, human girl could decline such an invitation from his only son.
After a painful silence: “Well,” he said in a perplexed and mortified voice, “she certainly seems to be, as you say, a most unusual girl.... But––if 240 it’s settled––why do you continue to worry, Helen?”
“Because Jim is very deeply in love with her.... And I’m sore at heart.”
“Hard hit, is he?”
“Very unhappy.”
Shotwell Senior reddened again: “He’ll have to face it,” he said.... “But that girl seems to be a fool!”
“I––wonder.”
“What do you mean?”