His daughter told me so, and I have taken care to let Dick know it.
The boy will not care to disappoint him. Her mother--"
"Whose mother?" interrupted Ethelbertha.
"Janie's mother, Mrs. St. Leonard," I explained. "She also has
formed a good opinion of him. The children like him. Janie told me
so."
"She seems to do a goodish deal of talking, this Miss Janie,"
remarked Ethelbertha.
"You will like her," I said. "She is a charming girl--so sensible,
and good, and unselfish, and--"
"Who told you all this about her?" interrupted Ethelbertha.
"You can see it for yourself," I answered. "The mother appears to be
a nonentity, and St. Leonard himself--well, he is not a business man.
It is Janie who manages everything--keeps everything going."
"What is she like?" asked Ethelbertha.
"I am telling you," I said. "She is so practical, and yet at the
same time--"
"In appearance, I mean," explained Ethelbertha.
"How you women," I said, "do worry about mere looks! What does it
matter? If you want to know, it is that sort of face that grows upon
you. At first you do not notice how beautiful it is, but when you
come to look into it--"
"And has she also formed a high opinion of Dick?" interrupted
Ethelbertha.
"She will be disappointed in him," I said, "if he does not work hard
and stick to it. They will all be disappointed in him."
"What's it got to do with them?" demanded Ethelbertha.
Pages:
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169