Halley was as good as his word. He came the next evening with a parcel under his arm. All day Ena had been looking forward with pleasure to seeing him. She had told Jack of the chance meeting, which news he had received in a surly manner.
“We can’t afford to entertain, you know, Ena, and I don’t like people seeing our penury.”
“I am sorry,” she said. “I thought it would be a man friend for you, and Mr. Halley does not seem the kind of man who wants entertaining as you call it.”
“From your description he seems a sort of wandering artist fellow, and I hate that type. I don’t know that I care to see him much.”
“But Jack, you must. He cannot come here and find you out again, and he is coming to put the wireless set right. You know you would like to have it working.”
“Oh, is he?” said Jack. “Well, I can tell you what is wrong with it, it wants a new high tension battery, which costs about a sovereign, and we can’t afford it.”
Ena started—she wondered if Halley had found that out.
“You will come home won’t you, Jack?” she pleaded.
“I don’t know, Ena. I’ll try, but I can’t be certain.”
There was a shifty look in his eyes which she did not like, but he jumped up abruptly and left her without further discussion.