She turned to Mabel. “What do you think?” she asked. “Would it be better to ask him to meet me in Paris, Lexington, or where?”
“I don’t know,” replied Mabel. “But it seems to me that Paris is pretty close to your home. Besides, Jimmy is well known in Lexington also.”
“True,” said Shirley. “I think I shall select Cincinnati.”
“Goodness,” said Mabel, “that is a long ways.”
“So it is,” said Shirley, “but I can make an excuse to go there. I can tell father we are going to spend a couple of days with Clara Morton. He will not object.”
“Suit yourself,” said Mabel. “I reckon it might as well be there as any place else. It probably will be safer too. We can stay with Clara while there.”
“My idea exactly,” said Shirley. “Now let’s see if I can write the proper kind of a letter.”
She drew forth some paper—and wrote long and earnestly. Sheet after sheet she tore up, but at last, with a little cry of satisfaction, she took the last sheet, upon which she had just written, and passed it to Mabel.
“Mr. A. B. Jones:—Dear Sir:—I have considered your offer. I shall be in Cincinnati, Palace Hotel, Friday. If offer is still open, meet me in the lobby at 6 o’clock Friday night. I am going to Cincinnati on an errand for Miss Willing.
Mabel read the letter over several times.
“I guess it is all right,” she said at last. “There is only one thing I would suggest.”
“I would add a line and say, ‘Under no circumstances write me!’”
She did, and then addressing an envelope, the two girls walked up to the mail box at the pike and waited the passing of the rural mail carrier. They did not wish the letter to remain in the box unguarded, because some one might see it.
But with the letter in the mailman’s hands, Shirley felt more comfortable. The two girls walked back to the house.
“With good luck,” said Shirley, “that is, if Dad doesn’t object, we should be able to leave here Thursday morning. We will send Clara a telegram from town telling her to meet us. Now we’ll go and see what Dad has to say.”
“So you want to go away again, eh?” said Mr. Willing, after Shirley had suggested the trip. “And how long do you want to be gone?”
“Until Sunday or Monday, Dad,” said Shirley.
“Well,” said Mr. Willing, after a long pause, “I can see no reason why you cannot go if Mr. Ashton doesn’t object.”