George misinterpreted her emotion. He patted her hand encouragingly.
“It’s all right, kiddie! I told you there was a happy ending. This morning the boss sent for me.
” ‘What’s all this I hear about your refusing Mrs. Hebblethwaite admittance yesterday?’ he said. I was feeling that all was over now except the tearful farewells. ‘She told you who she was,’ he said. ‘What did you keep her out for?’
” ‘I thought you were busy, Mr. Hebblethwaite,’ I said. ‘And it’s always been my idea that if callers hadn’t appointments you weren’t to be disturbed on any account.’
“He didn’t say anything for a bit; then he kind of glared at me.
” ‘How many were there after the job when you got it?’
“I told him twenty-seven, counting me.
” ‘Then let me tell you, young man,’ he said, worrying his cigar, ‘that I don’t consider you one of twenty-seven. You’re one in a million! You’ve a head! Weren’t you boring me yesterday with some silly story about wanting a raise? What do you want a raise for?’
” ‘Want to get married, sir.’ He looked at me in a pitying sort of way.
” ‘You don’t know when you’re well off,’ he said. ‘Oh, well! Give this to the cashier.’
“And he scribbled something on a bit of paper. And—”
George broke off and slid nimbly to intercept a fair creature in mauve who was trying to buck center.
“Have you an appointment, madam? Then I fear—— Mr. Hebblethwaite is extremely busy. . . . The magazine goes to press to-day. If you will leave a message——”
He came back.
“What was I saying? Oh, yes. He gave me a note to the cashier for another fifteen a week. So there we are! Say, I happened to be passing a shop a few days ago and I saw in the window some parlor furniture—”
Rosie gulped.
“But, George, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you? I have told you!”
“Last night, I mean.”
George laughed a little sheepishly.
“Well, after the way I’d been blowing to you about what a marvel I was and what I was going to do to the boss when I got him alone, I kind of felt you’d think me such a darned fool. Besides, I didn’t want to worry you.”
“But you did worry me. I nearly died.”
George stared.
“Eh? How? Why?”
“Why. I naturally thought, when you suddenly didn’t want to go into the McAstor, that you were ashamed to be seen with me.”
“Ashamed to be seen with you! Whatever gave you that idea?”
“I thought you thought my dress was too awful.”
“What’s the matter with your dress?” asked George, puzzled. “It looks all right to me.”
“Not this one, the one I wore last night.”
“Isn’t that the one you wore last night?” said George.
“I never notice what you’ve got on, kiddie. You could wear overalls and make a hit with me. It’s you I’m in love with, not the scenery.”
Rosie blinked.
“You’re the most wonderful man on earth!”
“Sure! But don’t tell anybody.”
“But all the same, you’re pretty awful not to see that this is the cutest spring suit ever made.”
George looked into her eyes. Elmer Otis Banks himself never directed into anybody’s eyes such a steady whole-hearted gaze. Looking over his shoulder again to make sure that their privacy was still undisturbed, he kissed Rosie.
“Anything you wear looks that way to me,” he said. “Well, as I was saying, I was passing this shop, and there in the window was the swellest set of parlor furniture——”