He might get the idea that his home was not the best place for a business consultation.

With a sigh of relief, he turned his car into the home driveway and straight into the garage, reaching to turn on the light switch as he passed through the door.

And it was just then that Mrs. Harmon, keeping vigil at her side window, determined to find out if she could whether the young man had really been invited to dinner with the Chalmerses. Of course it was no proof, for he might have gone to dinner somewhere else, but at least she meant to pursue this matter as far as she could.

And so she sat in her dark window and kept vigil, and when the light flared out from the next-door garage, she rose and peered out, not to miss a thing. She saw the car halt, watched the young man get out, made sure it was he and not his father, saw him turn out the car lights, close the door and lock it, and then march up to the back door still in the full glare of brightness, for the garage lights turned out from the house as well as the garage. She had found that out long ago. Well, he was still in his uniform, she noted, as Paige passed her line of vision. She scanned his fleeting figure as he mounted the back steps and slammed the kitchen door and an instant later snapped out the garage light. Then Mrs. Harmon rose wearily and went upstairs to bed. It had not been restful to watch so long and, after all, the outcome was still uncertain. She did get a flash of gold or silver on his uniform, but that wasn’t very definite. She couldn’t be sure whether it was his dress uniform or not. Well, she would think it over, and if he went downtown at the usual hour in the morning for office men, she would perhaps go over and have a talk with his mother. She could take over a bunch of hyacinths and just be friendly a few minutes and could likely find out something that way.

Paige walked through the house to the living room, where he was sure his father and mother would be sitting. He could hear voices in there and wondered who was calling. Well, perhaps it was as well. There would be no opportunity for his mother to search him through and through to see just how well he had been pleased with his evening. Not that he minded his mother knowing anything about him, but he did not want her to sense that he was still somewhat troubled. His mother was gifted with a keener sense about a lot more than he was himself.

But this was likely some of the neighbors, and he would go in and greet them and then excuse himself and say he was tired and wanted to turn in.

He paused an instant and tried to identify the voices. A man with a firm, good voice and a pleasant-voiced woman. He did not seem to recognize them. Were they new people, or had he been away so long that he didn’t remember them? Well, he must go on now. Dad and Mother wouldn’t like it if he didn’t come in at all.

He stepped over to the hall rack and hung up his hat and topcoat, but just as he did so the people in the living room rose. They were evidently leaving. If he had only paused in the kitchen a couple of minutes, he might have avoided them. But no, that was no way to do. He was at home now, and he did not want to antagonize anybody. He was likely to live in this town for some time, perhaps, and he mustn’t skulk away out of sight.

And then he heard his father say, “There comes Paige now. I’m glad he arrived before you left. Come in, Paige.