"
"Did I really?"
"Do five and two make nine?"
"Don't they?"
"They do not!"
"Well, must you have hydrophobia about it? What difference
does it make?"
"It makes the difference that I only owe you three dollars
and twenty-six cents."
"All right, pay it and simmer down. Isn't he wonderful, Jimsy? He
just sent a check for ten thousand dollars to the fund for blind
French soldiers and then begrudges his poor wife five dollars."
"But that's charity and this is cards; and it's humiliating to
think that you haven't learned addition yet."
Mrs. Dyckman winked at Jim and motioned him to sit beside her.
He could not help thinking of the humiliating addition he was about
to announce to the family. While his father counted out the change
with a miserly accuracy he winked his off eye at Jim and growled,
with a one-sided smile:
"Where have you been for the past few days, and what mischief have
you been up to? You have a guilty face."
But Mrs. Dyckman threw her great arm about his great shoulders,
stared at him as she kissed him, and murmured: "You don't look
happy. What's wrong?"
Jim scraped his feet along the floor gawkily and mumbled: "Well, I
suppose I'd better tell you. I was going to break it to you gently,
but I don't know how."
Mrs. Dyckman took alarm at once. "Break it gently? Bad news? Oh,
Jim, you Haven't gone and got yourself engaged to some fool girl,
have you? Not that?"
"Worse than that, mother!"
"Oh dear! what could be worse? Only one thing, Jim! You haven't--you
haven't married a circus-rider or a settlement-worker or anything
like that, have you?"
"No.
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