Page:Levenson - Butterfly Man.djvu/269

Rh "But you don't really know me."

"I know you well enough. Are you going north?"

"Yes," said Ken.

"By boat or by train?"

The door opened. Lou stood there. At her side was Mamma.

"You'll catch cold out here," Mamma said. Then she saw the boy. "Oh, excuse me."

"What is your name?" Ken asked.

"I'm Tommy Cook," he said. "And I apologize most sincerely for intruding."

"That's perfectly all right," Mamma said.

"This is Mrs. Faydenson and Miss Faydenson," Ken said.

"Catherine has been telling me that you might join us in our sea voyage to New York—"

"Please don't call me Catherine," Lou protested. "It's perfectly silly to give me a long name like that when I have a sensible little name like Lou."

"You are embarrassingly blunt," Mamma said. "Soon I shall be a movie mamma. You'll hate me and make everyone else hate me."

(Deliberately offering me an opportunity for a compliment, thought Ken. I shan't say a word.)

He said nothing.

"I asked the porter if you could exchange your ticket."

"You did what?" Mamma demanded.

"Was I indiscreet?"

"Indiscreet! But Mr. Gracey hasn't—"

"As a matter of fact," Ken interrupted, "I've decided to continue on this train."

Lou, Ken thought, was blanching. Mamma said "Oh!" Tommy Cook said, "Excuse me, I must go in. I'm in Car