Part 27 (2/2)
”Good morning, David,” she said suavely. ”Carey, Fletcher is waiting for you at the elevator. Your father stopped him. I told him you would be out directly.”
”I had an engagement to drive with him,” explained Carey. ”I thought you would come earlier.”
”I am due at a committee meeting,” he said, in a courteous but aloof manner.
”We start in the morning, you know,” she reminded him. ”Won't you dine here with us to-night?”
”I am sorry,” he refused. ”It will be impossible.”
”Arthur is going to a club for luncheon,” said Mrs. Winthrop, when Carey had gone into the adjoining room, ”and I shall be alone unless you will take pity on my loneliness. I won't detain you a moment after luncheon.”
”Thank you,” he replied abstractedly.
She smiled at the reluctance in his eyes.
”David is going to stay to luncheon with me,” she announced to Carey as she came into the sitting room.
David winced at the huge bunch of violets fastened to her m.u.f.f. He remembered with a pang that Fletcher had left him that morning to go to a florist's. After she had gone Mrs. Winthrop turned suddenly toward him, as he was gazing wistfully at the closed door.
”David,” she asked directly, ”why did you refuse our invitation to dine to-night?”
”Why--you see--Mrs. Winthrop--with so many engagements--there is a factory meeting at five--”
”David, you are floundering! That is not like the frankly spoken boy we used to know at Maplewood. I kept you to luncheon to tell you some news that even Carey doesn't know yet. Mrs. Randall has written insisting that we spend a week at Maplewood before we go West. As we are in no special haste, I shall accept her hospitality.”
David made no reply, and she continued:
”You are going home the day before election?”
”Yes, Mrs. Winthrop,” he replied.
”We will go down with you, and I hope you will be neighborly while we are in the country.”
The bewildered look in his eyes deepened, and then a heartrending solution of her graciousness came to him. Fletcher and Carey were doubtless engaged, and this fact made Mrs. Winthrop feel secure in extending hospitality to him.
”Thank you, Mrs. Winthrop,” he said, a little bitterly. ”You are very kind.”
”David,” she asked, giving him a searching look. ”What is the matter?
I thought you would be pleased at the thought of our spending a week among you all.”
He made a quick, desperate decision.
”Mrs. Winthrop,” he asked earnestly, ”may I speak to you quite openly and honestly?”
”David Dunne, you couldn't speak any other way,” she a.s.serted, with a gay little laugh.
”I love Carey!”
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