And he eyed me in a cautious way which said as plain as the nose on your face, ‘Good Lord, she’s only a woman, and she won’t understand.’  But I showed him I was serious, and he asked me huskily, ’Suppose it was winter, Aunt Deborah, and the Giants were in Texas.  Do you think I could get a few days off?’ And then before he could tell me the Giants were a baseball nine, I said I was sure he could manage it.  You should have seen his face light up.  And he added very fervently, ’Gee, it must be wonderful to be an engineer out there!’”

Roger chuckled delightedly and Deborah went on with her work.  “How good she is with young uns,” he thought.  “What a knack she has of drawing ’em out.  What a pity she hasn’t some of her own.”

He slept until late the next morning, and awoke to find Deborah by his bed.

“It’s another boy,” she told him.  Roger sat up excitedly.  “Bruce has just telephoned the news.  The children and I have breakfasted, and they’re going out with their nurse.  Suppose you and I go up and see Bruce and settle this trip to the mountains.”

About an hour later, arriving at Edith’s apartment, they found Bruce downstairs with Allan Baird who was just taking his departure.  Bruce’s dark eyes shone with relief, but his hand was hot and nervous.  Allan, on the contrary, held out to Edith’s father a hand as steady and relaxed as was the bantering tone of his voice.

“Bruce,” he said, “has for once in his life decided to do something sensible.  He’s going to drop his wretched job and take a week off with his children.”

“And worry every minute he’s gone,” Deborah retorted, “and come back and work day and night to catch up.  But he isn’t going to do it.  I’ve decided to take the children myself.”

“You have?” cried Bruce delightedly.

“You’ll do no such thing,” said Allan, indignant.

“Oh, you go to thunder,” Bruce put in.  “Haven’t you any delicacy?  Can’t you see this is no business of yours?”

“It isn’t, eh,” Allan sternly rejoined.  And of Deborah he demanded, “Didn’t you say you’d go with me to ‘Pinafore’ this Saturday night?”

“Ah,” sneered Bruce.  “So that’s your game.  And for one little night of your pleasure you’d do me out of a week of my life!”

“Like that,” said Baird, with a snap of his fingers.

“I’m going, though,” said Deborah.

“Quite right, little woman,” Bruce admonished her earnestly.  “Don’t let him rob you of your happiness.”

“Come here,” growled Baird to Deborah.  She followed him into the living room, and Roger went upstairs with Bruce.

“If he ever hopes to marry that girl,” said Bruce, with an anxious backward glance, “he’s got to learn to treat her with a little consideration.”

“Quit your quarreling,” Roger said.  “What’s a week in the mountains to you?  Hasn’t your wife just risked her life?”

“Sure she has,” said Bruce feelingly.  “And I propose to stick by her, too.”