When he returned to the Freemans, Henderson flung aside his book and
complained of Bruce’s prolonged absence. “I had begun to think you’d
got yourself kidnapped. Go ahead and talk,” he said, yawning and
stretching himself.
“Well, I’ve had a mild adventure,” said Bruce, lighting a cigarette;
and he described his meeting with the two young women.
“Not so bad!” remarked Henderson placidly. “Such little adventures
never happen to me. The incident would make good first page stuff for a
newspaper; society girls shipwrecked. You ought to have taken the flask
as a souvenir. Leila is an obstreperous little kid; she really ought to
behave herself. Right the first time. Leila Mills, of course; I think
I mentioned her the other day. Her friend is Millicent Harden. Guess
I omitted Millicent in my review of our citizens. Quite a remarkable
person. She plays the rôle of big sister to Leila; they’re neighbors on
Jefferson Avenue. That’s just a boathouse on the Styx that Mills built
for Leila’s delectation. She pulls a cocktail tea there occasionally.
Millicent’s pop made a fortune out of an asthma cure--the joy of all
cut-rate druggists. Not viewed with approval by medical societies.
Socially the senior Hardens are outside the breastworks, but Millicent
is asked to very large functions, where nobody knows who’s there. They
live in that whopping big house just north of the Mills place, and old
Doc Harden gives Millicent everything she wants. Hence a grand organ,
and the girl is a regular Cecelia at the keys. Really plays. Strong
artistic bent. We can’t account for people like the Hardens having
such a daughter. There’s a Celtic streak in the girl, I surmise--that
odd sort of poetic strain that’s so beguiling in the Irish. She models
quite wonderfully, they tell me. Well, well! So you were our little
hero on the spot!”
“But Leila?” said Bruce seriously. “You don’t quite expect to find the
daughter of a prominent citizen tipsy on a river, and rather profane at
that.”
“Oh, thunder!” exclaimed Henderson easily. “Leila’s all right. You
needn’t worry about her. She’s merely passing through a phase and
will probably emerge safely. Leila’s hardly up to your standard, but
Millicent is a girl you’ll like. I ought to have told Dale to ask
Millicent here. Dale’s a broad-minded woman and doesn’t mind it at all
that old Harden’s rolled up a million by being smart enough to scamper
just a nose length ahead of the Federal grand jury carrying his rotten
dope in triumph.”
“Miss Mills, I suppose, is an acceptable member of the Freemans’
group?” Bruce inquired.
“Acceptable enough, but this is all too tame for Leila. Curious sort of
friendship--Leila and Millicent. Socially Millicent is, in a manner of
speaking, between the devil and the deep sea. She’s just a little too
superior to train with the girls of the Longview Country Club set and
the asthma cure keeps her from being chummy with the Faraway gang. But
I’ll say that Leila’s lucky to have a friend like Millicent.”
“Um--yes,” Bruce assented. “I’m beginning to see that your social life
here has a real flavor.”
“Well, it’s not all just plain vanilla,” Bud agreed with a yawn.