“I dare say not, Elice; and I for one am mighty glad you didn’t. Life is cheap enough at best without adding to its cheapness unnecessarily.” 39
The girl seemed scarcely to hear him, missing the argument entirely.
“I suppose, though,” she commented reflectively, “when one does think of it, that it’ll be rather hard on Margery to scrimp. She’s always had everything she wants and isn’t used to economizing.”
Armstrong sat a moment in thought. He gave his habitual shrug.
“She should have thought of that before the minister came,” he dismissed with finality. “It’s a trifle late now.”
“They’ve been putting it off for a long time, though,” justified the girl, “and probably she thought—one has to cease delaying some time.”
“Elice! Elice!” Armstrong laughed banteringly. “I believe you’ve got the June bug fluttering in your bonnet too. It’s contagious this time of year, isn’t it?”
“Shame on you, Steve!” The voice was dripping with reproach. “You always will be personal. You know I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Not a bit, honest now?”
“I say you ought to be ashamed to make fun of me that way.”