Part 15 (1/2)

”O--h,” said little Eve Edgarton. Her eyes were quite wide with horror. ”How careful I shall have to be with Henrietta.”

”Eh?” snapped her father.

Ting-a-ling--ling--ling--ling! trilled the telephone from the farther side of the room.

Impatiently Edgarton came back and lifted the receiver from its hook.

”h.e.l.lo?” he growled. ”Who? What? Eh?”

With quite unnecessary vehemence he rammed the palm of his hand against the mouth-piece and glared back over his shoulder at his daughter. ”It's that--that Barton!” he said. ”The impudence of him! He wants to know if you are receiving visitors to-day! He wants to know if he can come up! The--”

”Yes--isn't it--awful?” stammered little Eve Edgarton.

Imperiously her father turned back to the telephone.

Ting-a-ling--ling--ling--ling, chirped the bell right in his face. As if he were fairly trying to bite the transmitter, he thrust his lips and teeth into the mouth-piece.

”My daughter,” he enunciated with extreme distinctness, ”is feeling quite exhausted--exhausted--this afternoon. We appreciate, of course Mr. Barton, your--What? h.e.l.lo there!” he interrupted himself sharply.

”Mr. Barton? Barton? Now what in the deuce?” he called back appealingly toward the bed. ”Why, he's rung off! The fool!” Quite accidentally then his glance lighted on his daughter. ”Why, what are you smoothing your hair for?” he called out accusingly.

”Oh, just to put it on,” acknowledged little Eve Edgarton.

”But what in creation are you putting on your coat for?” he demanded tartly.

”Oh, just to smooth it,” acknowledged little Eve Edgarton.

With a sniff of disgust Edgarton turned on his heel and strode off into his own room.

For five minutes by the little traveling-clock, she heard him pacing monotonously up and down--up and down. Then very softly at last she summoned him back to her.

”Father,” she whispered, ”I think there's some one knocking at the outside door.”

”What?” called Edgarton. Incredulously he came back through his daughter's room and, crossing over to the hall door, yanked it open abruptly on the intruder.

”Why--good afternoon!” grinned Barton above the extravagantly large and languorous bunch of pale lavender orchids that he clutched in his hand.

”Good afternoon!” said Edgarton without enthusiasm.

”Er--orchids!” persisted Barton still grinningly. Across the unfriendly hunch of the older man's shoulder he caught a disquieting glimpse of a girl's unduly speculative eyes. In sudden impulsive league with her against this, their apparent common enemy, Age, he thrust the orchids into the older man's astonished hands.

”For me?” questioned Edgarton icily.

”Why, yes--certainly!” beamed Barton. ”Orchids, you know! Hothouse orchids!” he explained painstakingly.

”So I--judged,” admitted Edgarton. With extreme distaste he began to untie the soft flimsy lavender ribbon that encompa.s.sed them. ”In their native state, you know,” he confided, ”one very seldom finds them growing with--sashes on them.” From her nest of cus.h.i.+ons across the room little Eve Edgarton loomed up suddenly into definite prominence.

”What did you bring me, Mr. Barton?” she asked.

”Why, Eve!” cried her father. ”Why, Eve, you astonish me! Why, I'm surprised at you! Why--what do you mean?”

The girl sagged back into her cus.h.i.+ons. ”Oh, Father,” she faltered, ”don't you know--anything? That was just 'small talk.'”

With perfunctory courtesy Edgarton turned to young Barton. ”Pray be seated,” he said; ”take--take a chair.”