“You devils—sneaking in like this, and us not dressed!” yelped Nellie.
Jim sidled up to her, dragged her plump hand away from the handle of the granite-ware coffee-pot, and giggled, “But aren’t you glad to see us?”
“I don’t know whether I am or not! Now you quit! You behave, will you?”
Rarely did Elmer seem more deft than Jim Lefferts. But now he was feeling his command over women—certain sorts of women. Silent, yearning at Juanita, commanding her with hot eyes, he sank on the temporarily Oriental couch, touched her pale hand with his broad finger-tips, and murmured, “Why, you poor kid, you look so tired!”
“I am and— You hadn’t ought to of come here this afternoon. Nell’s aunt threw a conniption fit the last time you were here.”
“Hurray for aunty! But you’re glad to see me?”
She would not answer.
“Aren’t you?”
Bold eyes on hers that turned uneasily away, looked back, and sought the safety of the blank wall.
“Aren’t you?”