Page:Our Little Girl (1923).pdf/149

 He rose and took his hat and coat from a rack.

“You'll pardon me,” he said. “Miss Gray can take care of anything you need. Miss Gray, please entertain Miss Reitz and Mr. Deering. I’m going over to the Met to have a talk with Bill Guard. Good-bye, Arnold. S’long, Dot.”

He marched out, lighting a cigarette.

Dorothy and Arnold bade Miss Gray a pleasant morning and made their way to the elevators.

“Isn’t he the most conceited goof you ever saw?” asked Arnold indignantly.

“He seemed to be a little queer. He’s changed since he’s been with the concert bureau.”

“He was always conceited.”

“He may have been, but——”

“You used to see a good deal of him, didn’t you?”

“Oh, he called now and then; that was all."

“He liked you, didn’t he?”

Dorothy shrugged her shoulders. Was Arnold jealous?

“Well, let’s take a little spin.”

It was pleasant, riding around with Arnold. He was sympathetic. He knew nice places to visit. He was a good dancer. He was very nice.

Tommy’s advice about Soedlich lingered with Dorothy. Her mother, she knew, would raise a terrible ado if she ever imagined that her daughter was going to the studio of “that man.” Yet Soedlich’s reputation was enormous. She had noticed a small announcement in the Musical Cosmos, listing some of the singers who had coached with Soedlich in the past year. The catalogue was long and included almost all of the current concert celebrities. There was no doubt that Dorothy ought to coach with Soedlich. But what would mother say?

Mother would say nothing, Dorothy decided. Mother