Hanging up the receiver he closed the door and exclaimed triumphantly: 

“It’s done!”

“Oh—­I’m scared to death!” gasped Fanny.

“I ain’t,” he grinned.  Proudly he added:  “After all, it takes a man to rise to the occasion.”

“But if it should turn out wrong?” persisted his wife.

He shook his head incredulously as if such a thing were an utter impossibility.  With a shrug of his shoulders he said: 

“It’s done now and that’s all there is to it.  I’ll bet that by this time Stafford is in his machine and dashing up here like mad.  Suppose he should get here before Virginia?”

“That would spoil everything!” exclaimed Fanny.

“Not necessarily,” he replied loftily, as if no problem was so difficult that he could not grapple with it.  “I’d probably get some kind of an idea in time to save the situation.  Leave everything to me.”

Fanny, lost in thought, said nothing, while her husband nervously paced the floor.  Glancing at the clock, he exclaimed impatiently: 

“I wish she’d come.  She ought to be here by now—­”

He stopped and listened, and then going out into the hall, opened the front door.  No one was there and he came back into the room: 

“I thought I heard her key in the door,” he said.

“I’m so worried,” exclaimed Fanny anxiously.

“What about?” he demanded airily.  “I did the ’phoning.  If there’s any worrying to be done, let Jimmie do it!”

“I wish you hadn’t,” she said timidly.

“But I have,” he cried.  “Great Scott, ain’t that just like a woman!” Reassuringly he went on:  “Now look here, Fanny, you leave this to me.  When Virginia comes you make yourself scarce, get busy in the kitchen or something and I’ll talk to her.  You’ll see that I—­”

As he spoke there was the metallic click of a key turning in the front door lock.

“Holy Jupiter!” he exclaimed.  “Here she is!  Be careful what you say.”  Greeting his sister-in-law amiably he called out:  “Hallo, Virgie, we’re in here!”

Chapter XXI

Virginia came in tired and worn-looking.  Her clothes were soaked through from the storm and in her hand she carried a dripping umbrella.  She smiled wearily as she greeted the others: 

“Hello, Fanny!  How’s this for weather?” Holding out her umbrella to her brother-in-law she said:  “Here, Jim, please take this.”

While he went to put the gingham in the bathtub, Fanny helped to make the newcomer comfortable.  With concern, she exclaimed: 

“Poor darling—­you’re wet through.  You’d better change everything.”

Virginia threw off her raincoat and dropped, exhausted, into a seat.

“I’m too tired to do anything but sit down,” she exclaimed wearily.

“Was it a hard day?” inquired her sister as she brought a pair of comfortable slippers to be exchanged for the wet shoes.