"
XXV
JACK PARISH
"Grandpapa!" Joel came in with a shout, rushed around the room two or three
times, and finally came up to the big writing-table, quite blown.
"Dear me!" exclaimed old Mr. King, laying down his pen, "have you really
got through, Joe?"
"Grandpapa," said Joel, his black eyes shining, and bobbing over his head
to get a good look into the old gentleman's face, "she's asked him, she
really has!"
"Who?" asked Mr. King, very much puzzled.
"Mrs. Sterling," said Joel, in a tone of the greatest satisfaction. Then he
began to dance again, snapping his brown fingers to keep time.
"When you come out of that war dance, Joel," said old Mr. King, leaning
back in his big chair to laugh at him, "perhaps you'll have the goodness to
tell me whom you are talking about all this time."
Joel stopped his mad career and ran up to the old gentleman's side.
"Why Jack Parish--I thought you knew, Grandpapa," he added reproachfully.
"I suppose I might have known if I'd stopped to consider that you've talked
your Parish boy every day since the little affair on the pond," said Mr.
King, still laughing. "Well, and so Mrs. Sterling has invited your friend,
Joel, to some festivity, I suppose, eh?"
"Yes," said Joel, "she has"--his satisfaction returning--"it's a supper at
her house, to-morrow night, Grandpapa.
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