She said Uncle Pemberton wanted to give you a little advice, and this would be a god time. But I told her no, we needed you!”

“Okay with me,” said Jeremy. “Advice! Bologna! I don’t care for any of his advice! Thunder! There goes the doorbell! Now who do you suppose that could be?”

They listened, and a shade of annoyance passed over Jennifer’s face as she recognized a voice. Jeremy didn’t miss her expression.

“Good night!” he said crossly. “Is that Pete Willis? Who does he think he is? Now I suppose you’ll duck and run and leave us all up a tree! For goodness’ sake, tell me what to do while he’s here.”

Jennifer, with a very determined look on her young face, patted his arm.

“Don’t you worry, kid! He won’t stay long! I’ll settle him.”

But the boy drew his brows in a dubious frown.

“Aw, you!” he exclaimed. “You won’t be able to get away! I know him! Why’n’t ya have Letty tell him you can’t see him t’day?”

“Because he would only come back tonight, just when we don’t want him!” she said. “You go get your clothes together. Everything you’ll need while we’re gone. Nothing fancy, you know. One good plain suit for emergencies. Don’t make a noise to wake those children. We can work better while they are asleep.”

Then she turned and hurried out to the hall, intercepting Letty, who was just going upstairs in search of her.

She came over to the doorway where the young man stood waiting for her. He was a handsome fellow, well groomed, with a pleasantly subdued smile on his face.

“Hello, Jen!” he called breezily and took both of her hands in a big possessive clasp. “Say, this is hard lines, you to have to go through all this ghastly business. Sorry I couldn’t have been here to help somehow, but I was away off in the wilds in the mountains on a fishing trip and we didn’t get the word till late last night, too late to get back and try for a plane. I knew the funeral must be over. But say, I certainly was sorry! Tough luck and all that for you! I’m glad you’re looking sort of cheerful! I do hate long faces, and of course they don’t do any good. Things like that are just as well forgotten as soon as possible. And after all, your father and mother had a good life, and it’s probably all for the best! But I certainly am sorry as the dickens. I didn’t even know in time to send flowers!”

Jennifer looked at him with strange, quiet eyes. Somehow he seemed alien to her new world. The cut-and-dried, half-embarrassed phrases he was rattling off fell on her sore young heart like hard smooth pebbles and had no tender message for her at all. He didn’t really feel badly about the sudden taking away of her precious mother and father. He was only saying those conventional words because it was the thing to do and he must get it over with as soon as possible. He had been her companion in many a frolic, a nice escort to have, always ready with bright repartee, always sending delightful flowers, and ready for any wild episode that might be suggested. A little over inclined, perhaps, to urge her to do anything that came along, to lead her into questionable situations that her mother afterward seriously disapproved when she happened to find them out. But still nice, and a lot of fun, awfully good-looking, and richer than any of the other young men. Long ago he would have bestowed upon her elegant trifles that were fairly priceless, if her parents had not objected.

But now, suddenly, he seemed alien, and she did not know why.

A little conventional smile trembled on her lips.

“It doesn’t matter,” she murmured. “It was kind of you to think of it.” Her voice had a sad little grown-up sound, and he looked at her keenly.

“Poor little kid!” he said in his big superior voice. “Come and sit down.