It took him three days to
decide what he should say, supposing he made up his mind to ask her.
Several people were at work helping him, though he knew nothing about
that. Mrs. Roberts remarked one evening to young Ried that she wished
she knew a way to induce Dirk Colson to take his sister, without
actually asking him to do so. She fancied that, besides the advantage
which might possibly directly follow an evening spent in that way, it
would suggest new thoughts to the brother.
The young man caught at the suggestion, and wanted to help carry it out.
It was not an easy thing to do. He had not grown intimate with Dirk
Colson; in fact, that misguided young fellow rather resented any attempt
at intimacy. He was, however, acquainted with Sallie Calkins; the
numerous trips he had made to their room during Mark's illness had
brought him into such constant and pleasant contact with Sallie and her
brother that they looked upon him as a tried friend. Sallie, he knew,
was a friend of the shy, golden-haired sister. So one evening he went to
call at the Calkins room, with a vague hope of helping indirectly in
bringing to pass Mrs. Roberts' desires.
To Sallie he made known the wish that Dirk would take his sister to the
lecture, and secured from her a promise to help the scheme along,
provided it developed.
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