Tom pointed to his grandfather's portrait:
"And there you see my distinguished features and my pug nose----"
"I've been waiting for you to come to lunch, Mr. Boy, for nearly an hour."
"Well, for heaven's sake, why didn't you let us know?"
He was so serenely unconscious of anything unusual in his actions that he failed to notice the smile that continuously played about Cleo's mouth or to notice Andy's evident enjoyment of the little drama as he bowed and scraped and waited on the table with unusual ceremony.
Aunt Minerva, hearing Andy's report of the sudden affair that had developed in the major's absence, left the kitchen and stood in the door a moment, her huge figure completely filling the space while she watched the unconscious boy and girl devouring each other with sparkling eyes.
She waved her fat hand over their heads to Andy, laughed softly and left without their noticing her presence.
The luncheon was the longest one that had been known within the memory of anyone present. Minerva again wandered back to the door, fascinated by the picture they made, and whispered to Andy as he passed:
"Well, fer de Lawd's sake, is dey gwine ter set dar all day?"
"Nobum--'bout er nodder hour, an' he'll go back ter de office."
"Heavens! I'm late. I'll run down to the office and cut the work out for the day in honor of your coming."
"Oh, I'm afraid I'll make trouble for you."
"No trouble at all! I'll be back in ten minutes."
"I'll be on the lawn in that wilderness of roses. The odor is maddening--it's so sweet."
"All right--and then I'll show you the old rose garden the other side of the house."
"It's awfully good of you, but I'm afraid I'm taking your time from work."
"It's all right! I'll make the other fellows do it to-day."
She blushed again and waved her bare arm high over her dark brown hair from the porch as he swung through the gate and disappeared.
In a few minutes he had returned. Through the long hours of a beautiful summer afternoon they walked through the enchanted paths of the old garden on velvet feet, the boy pouring out his dreams and high ambitions, the girl's lonely heart for the first time in life basking in the joyous light of a perfect day.
Andy made an excuse to go in the garden and putter about some flowers just to watch them, laugh and chuckle over the exhibition. He was just in time as he softly approached behind a trellis of climbing roses to hear Tom say: