Part 1 (2/2)
By this time, Jimmy had been seized with an intuitive feeling that his friend was in immediate danger.
”Was this the young woman who was to sit opposite the fireside five nights a week and systematise Alfred's life?”
Jimmy stared at the intruder blankly. For answer, two small hands were thrust out toward him and an impatient little voice was commanding him to ”Come, dance.” He heard Alfred's laughter. He had no intention of accommodating the small person in this or any other matter, yet, before he realised quite how it had happened, he was two-stepping up and down the gra.s.s to her piping little voice; nor did she release him until the perspiration came rolling from his forehead; and, horror of horrors, his one-time friend, Alfred, seemed to find this amusing, and laughed louder and louder when Jimmy sank by his side exhausted.
When Jimmy was again able to think consecutively, he concluded that considerable conversation must have taken place between Alfred and the small one, while he was recovering his breath and re-adjusting his wilted neckwear. He was now thrown into a fresh panic by an exclamation from the excitable Zoie.
”You must both meet my friend, Aggie Darling,” she was saying. ”I am bringing her with me to the hop to-night. She is not at all like me.
You will like her dreadfully.” She smiled at Jimmy as though she were conferring a great favour upon him.
”Like her dreadfully,” commented Jimmy to himself. ”It was just the kind of expression one might expect from a mind in such disorder as hers.
'Systematise Alfred's life,' indeed!”
There was more nonsensical chatter, or so it seemed to Jimmy, then Zoie and Alfred rose to go, and Jimmy was told by both of them that he was to put in an appearance at the Fraternity ”hop” that night.
”I'll see you at dinner,” called Alfred gaily over his shoulder and Jimmy was left to grapple with his first disappointment at his friend's lack of discrimination.
”It's her fault,” concluded Jimmy, as he lifted himself heavily off the bench and started down the campus, resolved to console himself with food.
CHAPTER II
Now Jimmy had no intention of going to the ”hop.” He had tried to tell Alfred so a dozen times during dinner, but each time he had been interrupted by one of Alfred's enthusiastic rhapsodies about Zoie.
”Most marvellous girl I have ever met!” exclaimed Alfred over his soup.
”So sensible; so modest. And did you see how simply she dresses?” he asked. Jimmy recalled his first vision of billowy fluff; but before he could answer, Alfred had continued excitedly:
”I'll tell you what first attracted me toward her.” He looked at Jimmy as though he expected some especial mark of grat.i.tude for the favour about to be bestowed; then he explained with a serious weighing of his words, ”It was her love of children. I had barely been introduced to her when she turned her back upon me and gave her whole attention to Professor Peck's little boy Willie. I said to myself, 'any girl of that age who prefers children to young chaps of my age, is the girl for me.'”
”I see,” a.s.sented Jimmy lamely. It was his first remark during dinner.
”After that, I no longer hesitated. You know, Jimmy, I have decision.”
”Yes, I have noticed,” admitted Jimmy, without conviction.
”In fifteen minutes,” said Alfred, ”I had learned all about the young lady's antecedents.”
Having finished his soup, and resisted a childish impulse to tip the plate and sc.r.a.pe the bottom of it, Jimmy was now looking anxiously toward the door through which the roast ought to come.
”I'll tell you all about her,” volunteered Alfred. But Jimmy's eyes were upon Alfred's plate; his friend had not yet devoured more than two spoonfuls of soup; at that rate, argued Jimmy, the roast would reach them about the time that he was usually trying to make his dessert last as long as possible.
”She is here with her aunt,” continued Alfred. ”They are on a short visit to Professor Peck.”
Jimmy approved of the ”short.”
”That's good,” he murmured, hopeful that a separation from the minx might restore his friend's reason.
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