"Oh, Ken never knew Jim was coming--so Ruth told us. Jim telephoned her early Sunday morning and found she would be home, so he ran in Town on the noon train and stayed until the nine o'clock."
"I'll see that Jim does not go back on his first loves quite so suddenly," laughed Mr. Latimer, thinking of the teasing he would give Jim.
"But we are not 'loves' at all--Nolla and I are only good pals for the boys," corrected Polly, anxiously.
"Whatever you call it, Jim ought to be well advised on such matters, as long as legal advice costs him nothing."
Polly failed to follow Mr. Latimer, and he immediately changed the subject. "Now that you are here and it is lunch-hour, why not come with me. I promised to take you to the Café Savarin or the Lawyer's Club, some day, and this is the day."
"Oh, it would be lovely, but I just couldn't leave Nolla out of the treat, you know!" exclaimed Polly, eagerly.
"If Nolla is at home, we will have her down in twenty minutes. We'll wait for her, and meanwhile I'll dictate a letter to your father for you to O.K."
Eleanor was moping around the house, wondering where Polly could be, when the telephone rang and she was invited to join her friends at luncheon. So in less than half-an-hour the trio were having a merry time in the sumptuous private restaurant on lower Broadway.
The letter that Polly approved, reached Sam Brewster, and he showed it to his wife. "Ah have been thinking, dear, that we-all might surprise Polly by dropping in on her just about Christmas time, eh?"
"Rather than let her come West and lose all that time from classes, I should say 'yes,' Sam."
"We really have nothing to tie us down at the ranch for a few weeks, unless the snow buries us for the winter."
"Sary would be in her glory could she keep house alone with Jeb for a time. Ever since they returned from their honeymoon in Denver, she has been sighing to run the house," said Mrs. Brewster, "feeding the fire" carefully.
"Let's go! By the Great Horned Spoon, I feel like taking a vacation to some other part of the world--so New York will do!"
Then it was quickly decided that they would start on Monday, and this being Friday, there was no time to lose.
Sary and Jeb accepted the amazing news with smiles and exchange of knowing looks. But they were relieved when Mrs. Brewster herself suggested to Sary: "Have all the good times you want, Sary, while we are gone. Invite your friends, and neighbors, if they can get through the drifts, and have apple-parties, corn-poppers, Virginia Reels, and anything on earth you like!"