Part 33 (1/2)

She studied each in turn, missing n.o.body. Her clear gaze, the blue eyes black beneath the shadowing thick lashes, met each answering pair of eyes with a steady scrutiny which did not once waver.

”That was a review one would be sorry not to be able to stand,” said Ferry to Josephine, as Sally ended by thrusting her arm through Max's and leading him off by himself. ”Miss Sally put us all to the test in that minute, didn't she? She gives the impression of demanding the best one has--rather an unusual characteristic in a girl of her age.”

”She does demand the best--and gets it,” answered Josephine warmly.

Ten feet away Sally was speaking hurriedly: ”The thing I wanted most to see you for, Maxy, was to make sure you weren't really angry with me for taking my own way about this.”

Her hand pressed his arm. She was looking up into his face. He returned the gaze. ”I was angry, Sis,” he admitted. ”But, somehow, now that I see you, I can't seem to get up steam to tell you so. I suppose you're right--but the place is mighty lonesome without you. If it wasn't for the Ferrys--”

”Are they over much?”

”We get them over as often as we can. I say, I've been noticing that Jarve and Janet seem to hit it off pretty well.”

”Do they? That's very nice. You like Janet yourself, don't you?”

”She's the belle of the ball, now you're away, and a mighty jolly girl to have around. If you don't look out your old friend J.B. will slip away from you.”

Sally's head went up, her cheeks bloomed a deeper colour. ”If I weren't going to leave you in a minute I should punish you for that piece of brotherly impertinence,” said she, with spirit. ”Have I ever laid hands on anybody to keep him, for you to talk of 'slipping away'?”

”No--you're not that sort,” conceded Max, with a laugh which certainly carried a hint of brotherly admiration.

Sally walked straight over to Janet, at whose other side stood Jarvis.

”Janet,” said she, ”Max says you are the life of them all. I'm so glad--and it's so kind of your mother and brother to bring you over to make the evenings pleasant. You'll keep on being good to them all winter, won't you?”

”Sally”--Janet caught hold of both her hands--”let me give you an ill.u.s.tration of how n.o.bly and completely I fill your place. The last time we were over I played for them--played my best, too. I ended with my most brilliant performance of Liszt. Two minutes afterward, when I had gone back to the fire, I heard somebody very softly doing a one-finger melody, picking it out note by note. I listened, and presently made out one of your favourite 'little tunes'--'A Red, Red Rose.' I looked around the group to see who was missing. It was not Bob. It was not Max. It was not Alec. It was not Don. It was not--”

”Anybody. It was--a ghost,” supplied Jarvis. He was looking intently at Sally, but she was smiling back at Janet, and the colour in her face was not less than it had been a moment before.

”My ghost, probably,” she said lightly. ”I'm sure if it were with you all by that fire as often as I think about you, it would be playing little tunes for itself, most of the time. Now I must spend my next minute with Alec,” and she was away again.

The minutes certainly were flying.

Janet looked after her. ”There's something perfectly irresistible about her, isn't there?” she suggested to her companion. He did not answer and she glanced at him. He had pulled out a card-case from his pocket and was writing something on one of the cards. He slipped the card into the big, green paper-box he held.

”Suppose I take all our packages to the porter and have him put them in her berth while she is off with Alec. Then she'll not have to bother with them, getting on,” he proposed. Janet a.s.sented, and in a minute Jarvis, laden with packages, approached the porter. Retaining half his burden he followed the porter into the car. He did not immediately return therefrom, and when, three minutes afterward, the signal came for the departure of the train, he was not in the group of whom she took leave.

”Has Jarvis gone? Say good-by for me to him, please, Jo,” she whispered as she embraced her friend. Waving the others back Max escorted her into her car. In the pa.s.sage they met Jarvis. Over her head the two young men looked at each other.

”Good-by, sister,” said Max, and kissed her, ”I see Jarve wants me to cut it short.” With which tactful brotherly explanation he abruptly retraced his steps to the vestibule, where he waited.

In the half-lit narrow pa.s.sage Jarvis made the most of his minute of grace, although Sally's hand was already extended, and a friendly good-by, with a frank smile, was on her lips.

”Are you in such a hurry to be rid of me?” said he, taking the hand. ”You make me feel somehow as if you didn't care even for the old friends.h.i.+p.

Is that so, Sally?”

”Not at all. I care very much. It seems so good to see you all.”

”To see 'us all' doesn't flatter me much.” He smiled a little. ”Sally, may I write to you?”

”Do. Tell me all about everybody.”