The faint aroma
of coffee floated through the room. A fruit-basket filled with oranges
occupied a conspicuous table, and everything waited for the guests.
While they waited, instead of enjoying themselves as the four were
certainly capable of doing, they were noticeably restless; listened for
the shuffling of careless feet on the steps, and the sound of uncultured
voices in the hall, and waited expectantly whenever the bell pealed,
only to be obliged to send word to some caller that "Mr. and Mrs.
Roberts were engaged."
The special occupation of the four seemed to be to look at their watches
and to remark that the doctor's was a trifle fast, and to wonder if
half-past seven would be a more suitable hour for the boys, and to
wonder what could be detaining Ried.
At last it was half-past seven, and then it was fifteen minutes of
eight, and then it was ten minutes of eight! And then the door-bell rang
again. It was Ried, and he was alone! One glance at his distressed face
told the lookers-on that something was amiss, even before he
exclaimed:--
"You won't see a boy to-night!"
"Why?" "What is the trouble?" "Where are they?"
These were the various ways of putting the same question.
"One of the McCullum partners has become interested in the boys, it
seems, and has concluded that he will try what he can do towards their
elevation; so he has commenced by presenting each one of them with a
ticket to the Green Street Theatre, and there they are at this moment!"
This startling intelligence was variously received.
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