“Say, Pa,” whined the urchin.  “Buy me a bag of peanuts.”

“Like hell I will,” the fat man growled.

And Ethel blushed.  How absurd she had been!

CHAPTER XXIII

In reply to her note, Dwight had telephoned that Sally would be there at five.  Mrs. Crothers arrived at a quarter past.  She was a small alert looking woman of thirty-five, slender, almost wiry, dark, with black hair worn over her temples.  Her small mouth was strong and willful, but she had nice pleasant eyes.  She was wearing a pretty tan hat and grey furs that she put back on her shoulders as she smiled and held out her hand.

“I’m so glad to meet you at last, my dear.”

“Oh, thank you,” said Ethel quickly.  And then, because that sounded too grateful, she added, “Won’t you sit down?” in rather a stilted little voice.  This woman made her feel so young.  “Now don’t act like a school-girl!” With an appearance of lazy ease she turned and poked the small logs in the fire.  “I do so love wood fires.  Don’t you?” she said, in carefully easy tones, but she did not hear the answer.

Mrs. Crothers was wearing a trim street suit of brown and dark green.  “She dresses as I do, so that’s all right,” thought Ethel.  “She’s taking me in.  So much the better.  I’ll do the same.”  And as they talked, she kept throwing glances at the dark face, rather narrow, the small and rather mischievous mouth, amid the grey eyes which looked as though they could be so very good-humoured and friendly.  But with a little pang of dismay Ethel saw that these eyes were preoccupied and only half attending.  “She has a hundred things on her mind, and she’s asking, ’Now let’s try to see if there’s really anything here worth while.’” The preliminaries were already over.  That part at least had gone smoothly enough.  “We’re off!” thought Ethel excitedly.

“How will you have your tea?” she asked.

“Clear with lemon.”

“One lump or two?”

“Three or four.”

“Oh, how funny,” Ethel laughed.  And then she reddened.  “You little goose,” she exclaimed to herself, “why did you say, ’how funny’?” She poured the tea with a trembling hand and proffered it with a plate of cakes and small toasted crumpets, dainties she had purchased with care at a smart little shop in the neighbourhood.  And meanwhile she was answering the questions, pleasant but searching, though thrown out in a casual voice.

“Yes, my home was in Ohio.  Such a dear old town,” she said.  But the next moment she bit her lips, for she had come so near to adding, “I wish I were back this very minute!” What was her visitor saying?  She frowned and leaned forward attentively.  Something about a small town in Vermont and the funny local politics there.  “Where is she leading by that remark?” Oh, yes, suffrage!  That was all right!

“Yes, indeed,” declared Ethel eagerly, “I’m for suffrage heart and soul!  I marched in the parade last Fall!  Wasn’t it glorious?  Were you there?”