Suddenly inspiration came to her. She remembered that she had forgotten to pay Davidge for the seat he surrendered her in the chair-car. She telephoned him at his hotel. He was out. She pursued him by wire travel till she found him in an office of the Shipping Board. He talked on the corner of 140 a busy man’s desk. She heard the busy man say with a taunting voice, “A lady for you, Davidge.”
She could hear the embarrassment in his voice. She was in for it now, and she felt silly when she explained why she bothered him. But she was stubborn, too. When he understood, he laughed with the constraint of a man bandying enforced gallantries on another man’s telephone.
“I’d hate to be as honest as all that.”
“It’s not honesty,” she persisted. “It’s selfishness. I can’t rest while the debt is on my mind.”
He was perplexed. “I’ve got to see several men on the Shipping Board. There’s a big fight on between the wooden-ship fellows and the steel-ship men, and I’m betwixt and between ’em. I won’t have time to run out to see you.”
“I shouldn’t dream of asking you. I was coming in to town, anyway.”
“Oh! Well, then––well––er––when can I meet you?”
“Whenever you say! The Willard at––When shall you be free?”
“Not before four and then only for half an hour.”
“Four it is.”