Julia Cloud didn't like him. She admitted that much to herself the
very first evening, and for that reason she was twice as cordial to
him as she might have been if she had liked him better. She reasoned
that it was unfair to take a sudden dislike that way, and perhaps it
was only a sign he needed a bit of their home all the more. So she
made him welcome and treated him as she did any other boys who came.
But more and more as the days slipped by she did not like him. At
first she was a bit worried about his influence on Allison, till she
saw that he merely annoyed Allison. Then she began to be annoyed by
his constant attendance on Leslie. And finally she grew exceedingly
restless and anxious as day succeeded day and Howard came no more.
Finally, one evening just before dinner, she went to the 'phone and
called up the college. It happened that she caught Howard just as he
was going down to dinner. She told him they were homesick for him and
there was roast lamb and green peas and strawberry shortcake for
dinner, wouldn't he come? He came. Who could refuse Julia Cloud?
But the face of Clive Terrence was a study when, unannounced, Howard
entered the living-room. Julia Cloud had seen him coming and quietly
opened the door. Such a storm of delighted welcome as met him warmed
his heart and dispelled the evil spirits that had haunted him during
the week.
In the chatter of talk while they were being seated at the dinner
table the visitor was almost forgotten, and he sat watching them
glumly while Allison and Leslie eagerly discussed plans for some
society in which they seemed to be interested. At last he grew weary
of being ignored and in the first pause he languidly drawled:
"Leslie, I think you and I'll take the cah and go in town to a show
this evening. I'm bored to death."
Leslie looked at him with flashing eyes and then extinguished him with
her cool tone:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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