Eveley found her really very agreeable, quite pleasant to entertain. And
after all Nolan had only done as she requested, and there was nothing
personal in it. It was lots of fun, but it must stop before Miss Weldon
had time to grow really fond of Nolan, for of course she could not have
him under any circumstances. Eveley absolutely disbelieved in any form of
duty, still she would not feel justified in carrying her animosity to the
point of wilfully breaking innocent hearts.
At twelve-thirty the next day, Eveley and Miss Weldon entered the small
waiting-room of Rudder's café. Nolan was already there. They waited
fifteen minutes for Timothy, and then a messenger came down to them with
a note. Mr. Baldwin was so sorry, but business was urgent, and they must
go right ahead and have luncheon without him. He would telephone them
later in the evening if he could come up.
Sally Weldon pursed her lips a little, but she smiled at Nolan. "Can you
beau us both, Mr. Inglish? We think we are mighty lucky to have half a
beau a piece on working days. Are you the only man in this whole town who
does not work like a slave?"
So they found a pleasant table in the café, and dawdled long over their
luncheon, laughing and chatting. Then they took Nolan back to his office,
and Eveley and Sally went for a drive on the beach to La Jolla.
"But don't you have to work?" asked Sally, observing that it was long
after two when they finally turned back toward the office.
Eveley shrugged her shoulders prettily.
"Oh, nobody works much but Mr. Baldwin," she said. "He does the grinding
for the whole force."
Miss Weldon frowned a little, but said nothing.
That evening she had the dinner nicely started when Eveley reached home,
and Eveley was loud in praise of her guest's skill and cleverness.
"It is just lovely, but you must not work. You are company."
"I rather like to cook. I took a long course in it four years ago when
Timmy and I were first engaged, and I have done all the housekeeping at
home since then. Daddy pays me double the salary we used to pay the cook,
and I provide better meals and more cheaply than she did. Daddy says so
himself."
"Why, Sally," cried Eveley warmly, "I think that is wonderful. I am
surprised. I thought--I supposed--"
"Oh, I know what you thought," laughed Sally brightly. "Everybody thinks
so, and it is true. I am very gay and frivolous. I love to dance and sing
and play. And I abhor solemn ugly grimy things, and I think the only
Christian duty in the world is being happy."
Eveley flushed at that, and turned quickly away.
Later Nolan joined them for dinner, and the little party was waxing very
gay long before Tim called. Then it was only to say that he would be
working late, but was sending them tickets for the theater and would join
them afterward for supper at the Grant.
"Does he always work as hard as this?" asked Sally, looking steadily into
Eveley's face.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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