"He's been gone all day," mourned Molly miserably to Jordan Morse. They had finished dinner; Molly had put Mrs. King to bed, and the two were seated in chairs on the lawn. Every minute that passed and found Theodore still away was like an eternity to the woman. She had always hated the office hours which took him from the house, hated the business friends who dropped in now and then and changed the conversation from the delicate personal things she always managed to dwell upon.
During the years she had been companion to Mrs. King, Theo's dinner and luncheon hours were ones of joy to her. Now this day had passed without him.
"He'll show up before long," Morse said presently. "What a lot of worry you have over that man!... Now if you had a problem on your hands like mine----"
The soft chug of a motor cut off his ejaculation.
"He's coming, now," he said, getting up.
Molly responded coldly to Theodore's friendly salute from the car.
As Mr. King walked quickly toward them, Morse called laughingly, "We had just decided you'd been kidnapped."
"Nothing like that," answered Theodore, "I've been in the country.... Sit down, Jordan; no use standing up!" And Theodore seated himself on the grass.
"It's been a fine day," he went on boyishly, scarcely knowing what to say.
"Lovely," agreed Molly, and Jordan supplemented this by asking: "Have a--pleasant ride?"
"Yes, delightful! One doesn't realize how murky the city is until he goes in the country for a day."
After a time, during which he looked up through the enfolding green of the trees, he proceeded calmly, "I took Miss Grandoken on a picnic."
Morse's sudden glance at Molly warned her to control herself.
"She's an odd child," continued Theodore, "but, then, all geniuses are. I don't know when I've so thoroughly enjoyed myself."
Morse's "That's good," was closely followed by Molly's curt question, "Where'd you go?"
"Just up the lake a ways. We took some picnic stuff----"
"And her fiddle, I suppose?" cut in Molly sarcastically.
"Of course. Jinnie's not Jinnie without her fiddle."
"She does play well," admitted Jordan.
"More than well," interpolated Theodore. "She plays divinely."
Then again they fell into an oppressive silence.
Molly was so curious to know the events of the day she could scarcely control her impatience.
Suddenly Mr. King announced: "I'm going to marry Jinnie Grandoken."
Molly and Morse slowly got to their feet. They stood looking down upon the young millionaire with jaws apart and startled eyes.
"Well, you needn't look as if I were about to commit some crime," he said, quizzing them with laughing eyes. "I suppose a chap can get married if he wants to; can't he?"