gets a hand," Mrs. Povey said. "We're going to have supper at my house.
Mary will have some of the boys there."

"I guess Emeline will have to wait till the next time," George said
coldly. "She wouldn't get much pleasure out of it, leaving me here as
sick as I am!"

"Oh, I don't know!" Mrs. Povey half sang, half laughed. "Emeline likes a
good time, like all the rest of us, George, and it don't do to keep a
pretty girl shut up all the time!"

"Shut up? She's never here," George growled.

"Well, we'll see!" Mrs. Povey hummed contentedly. A moment later Emeline
came in, wrenching the hooks of her best gown together. She had her hat
on, and looked excited and resolute.

"I forgot I'd promised to go out with the girls, George," she began.
"You don't care, do you? You've had your supper, and all Julia's got to
do is get into bed."

George looked balefully from one to the other. Mrs. Povey chanced a
quick little wink of approval and encouragement at Emeline, and he saw
it.

"A lot you forgot!" he said harshly to his wife. "You've been getting
ready for the last hour. Don't either of you think that you're fooling
me--I see through it! I could lay here and die, and a lot you'd care!
You forgot--ha!"