“I should love to,” she responded with a fervor that showed her relief, and then silence fell again.  Ruth was in despair.  With athletics cut out, what could she talk about to a boy, particularly when she was anxious to avoid any reference to anything which would make her think of her father?

“I’m reading a great book now,” said Arthur, whose thoughts for the last few minutes had been much the same as Ruth’s, and who felt that if he didn’t say something soon he never should.

“Oh, what is it?  Tell me about it,” said Ruth, with such touching anxiety to help the conversation along that Arthur chuckled silently.

“It’s one of Clark Russell’s sea stories, and I’ve just left my hero in such an exciting situation that I can hardly wait to see how he is coming out.”

It was Ruth’s turn to feel amused now.  “Too bad that you had to stop to eat dinner with a mere girl, isn’t it?” she said saucily.

Arthur laughed.  “I was getting so hungry and thirsty out there in mid-ocean with my hero, waiting for a sail to turn up, that I really needed my dinner.  Jiminy! it must be awful to have anything happen to you on the ocean,” he continued absent-mindedly; “you must feel so awfully far away from every one and so helpless.”

“Oh, please don’t,” cried Ruth with such real terror in her voice that Arthur woke suddenly to a realization of what he’d been saying.

“Of all stupid numskulls!” he said impatiently.  “Look here, Ruth, you can cry if you want to after that, and I won’t say a word.  I deserve some punishment for being such a forgetful idiot.”

Ruth couldn’t help laughing at his penitent expression.  “I don’t want to cry any more than you want me to.  And you’re not a forgetful idiot any more than I am.  Let’s call it square,” she ended significantly.

“All right, and I’ll stand up for girls from now on.”

“Will you do me a favor?”

“Anything, fair lady, that you may see fit to ask,” replied Arthur dramatically.

“Then come down to your meals every day,” demanded Ruth, inwardly quaking, but outwardly calm and innocent looking.

Arthur looked as if he were about to protest, but changed his mind and said firmly, “I never go back on my word, so I’ll do it.”

Fearing to spoil her victory by saying anything more, Ruth rose from the table and walked into the hall, leaving Arthur to follow more slowly.  Just as she did so, the bell rang, a sharp, clear peal, and Katie hurried to the door to return in a second with a yellow envelope, and a small book for Ruth to sign.

Ruth’s hands shook with excitement as she tried to use the stub of a pencil, and she felt grateful when Arthur took book and all from her saying gently, “You open your cablegram; I’ll sign the book.”