"I'm sure you won't mind excusing him to let him do something for his old mother, Miss Adams." "What DO you want ?" the son repeated.
"Two very nice things," Mrs.Dowling informed him.

"Everybody is so anxious for Henrietta Lamb to have a pleasant evening, because it's the very first time she's been anywhere since her father's death, and of course her dear grandfather's an old friend of ours, and----" "Well, well!" her son interrupted.

"Miss Adams isn't interested in all this, mother." "But Henrietta came to speak to Ella and me, and I told her you were so anxious to dance with her----" "Here!" he cried.

"Look here! I'd rather do my own----" "Yes; that's just it," Mrs.Dowling explained.

"I just thought it was such a good opportunity; and Henrietta said she had most of her dances taken, but she'd give you one if you asked her before they were all gone.