He left her
in a rage, and as he went he collided with Arabella and kicked her.
Miss Patty went white but Miss Summers was not a bit put out. She simply
picked up the howling dog and confronted Mr. von Inwald.
"Perhaps you didn't notice," she said sweetly, "but you kicked my dog."
"Why don't you keep her out of the way?" he snarled, and they stood
glaring at each other.
"Under the circumstances, Arabella," Miss Julia said--and everybody
was listening--"we can only withdraw Mr. von Inwald's invitation to the
kitchen."
"Thank you, I had not intended to go," he said furiously, and went out
into the veranda, slamming the door behind him. Mr. Jennings looked up
from where he was playing chess by the fire and nodded at Miss Summers.
"Serves him right for his temper!" he said.
"Checkmate!" said the bishop.
Mr. Jennings turned and glared at the board. Then with one sweep he
threw all the chessmen on the floor. As Tillie said later, it would be
a pity to spoil two houses with Mr. von Inwald and Mr. Jennings If they
were in the same family, they could work it off on each other.
Miss Patty came down to the news stand and pretended to hunt for a
magazine. I reached over and stroked her hand. "Don't take it too hard,
dearie," I said. "He's put out to-night, and maybe he isn't well. Men
are like babies. If their stomachs are all right and have plenty in
them, they're pleasant enough. It's been my experience that your cranky
man's a sick man.
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