"Young Hawkes drove me up," Malcolm said in a mollified tone.

"Oh?" Lenny's mouth opened innocently. "That's the way I missed
you!"

The inevitable ill-temper on their father's part being partly
dissipated by this time, the girls were free to begin a
conversation. Martie's happiness was flooding her spirit like a
golden tide; she was conscious, under all the sordid actualities of
a home dinner, that something sweet--sweet--sweet--had happened to
her. She bubbled news.

Grace Hawkes actually was going to work Monday--Rose was going back
to visit Alma--they had met Doc' Ben, hadn't they, Sally? Oh, and
Rodney Parker was home!

"Lucky stiff!" Lenny commented in reference to Rodney.

"He's awfully nice!" Martie said eagerly. "He walked up with us!"

"With us--with YOU!" Sally corrected archly.

"What time was that?" their father asked suddenly.

"About--oh, half-past four or five. Sally and I went down for the
mail."

"Rodney Parker ..." Leonard began. "Say, mama, this is all cold," he
interrupted himself to say coaxingly.