"To me," he said hurriedly. "I mean I don't care what happens to myself.
I mean that's more the way I am than just reckless."
She was content to let his analysis stand, though she shook her head, as
if knowing herself to be wiser than he about his recklessness. A
cheerfulness came upon them; and the Chinese question seemed to have
been settled by these indirect processes;--in fact, neither of them ever
mentioned it again. "I mustn't keep you," she said, "especially when you
ought to be getting on downtown to business, but----Oh!" She gave the
little cry of a forgetful person reminded. "I almost forgot what I ran
out to ask you!"
"What was it, Julia?" Noble spoke huskily, in a low voice. "What is it
you want me to do, Julia?"
She gave a little fluttering laugh, half timid, half confiding. "You
know how funny papa is about tobacco smoke?" (But she hurried on without
waiting for an answer.) "Well, he is. He's the funniest old thing; he
doesn't like _any_ kind very much except his own special cheroot things.
He growls about every other kind, but the cigars Mr. _Ridgely_ smokes
when he comes here, papa really _does_ make a fuss over! And, you see, I
don't like to say 'No' when Mr. Ridgely asks if he can smoke, because it
always makes men so uncomfortable if they can't when they're sitting on
a veranda, so I wondered if I could just tactfully get him to buy
something different from his cigars?--and I thought the best thing would
be to suggest those cigarettes you always have, Noble. They're the ones
papa makes the _least_ fuss about and seems to stand the best--next to
his own, he seems to like them the most, I mean--but I'd forgotten the
name of them. That's what I ran out to ask you."
"Orduma," said Noble. "Orduma Egyptian Cigarettes."
"Would you mind giving me one--just to show Mr. Ridgely?"
Noble gave her an Orduma cigarette.
"Oh, thank you!" she said gratefully. "I mustn't keep you another
minute, because I know your father wouldn't know _what_ to do at the
office without you! Thank you so much for this!" She turned and walked
quickly halfway up the path, then paused, looking back over her
shoulder. "I'll only show it to him, Noble," she said. "I won't give it
to him!"
She bit her lip as if she had said more than she should have; shook her
head as in self-chiding; then laughed, and in a flash touched the tiny
white cylinder to her lips, waved it to him;--then ran to the veranda
and up the steps and into the house. She felt satisfied that she had set
matters right, this kind Julia!