"Oh!" she exclaimed in a rush of shame. "I—I——" She turned and ran away. Teddy caught her.
"What's the matter?" he demanded. Her cheeks were still crimson.
"I—I kissed you," she said desperately, "and you—you hadn't said——"
Teddy laughed happily. "I hadn't said I loved you? Well, if that's all that's bothering you, just listen." And Teddy said it several times.
Davis was up and about in less than a week. His wound had been of little importance, and with a crutch which he took pride in using with dexterity he was able to move around almost as well as ever. He came over to tea with Evelyn one afternoon. Teddy was there, too, of course. Davis was boyishly showing off how well he could move about Teddy watched him critically.
"That's all right, Davis," he said in a paternal tone, "but you want to get rid of that instrument as soon as you can."
"What for?" demanded Davis, deftly swinging himself into a chair.
"We're waiting for you to get well," explained Teddy, with a smile at Evelyn. "It isn't considered good form to have a groomsman who's a cripple."
"Groomsman? Who? What? You two?" Davis stared from one to the other.
Teddy nodded, and Evelyn turned slightly pink. Davis turned to Teddy.
"They tell me you and I are to be impressively decorated for smashing Varrhus," he complained, "and there'll be moving pictures taken of it and shown everywhere. I want to be a touching picture, all wounded up, you know, when that happens. A girl threw me over about six months ago and she likes the movies. When she sees me beautifully mangled and being kissed by bearded people who pin medals on me she'll be sorry. Mayn't I wear a crutch until then?"
Teddy laughed, and Evelyn smiled affectionately at Davis.
"If it's like that, of course," said Evelyn, "we'll wait. But Teddy's in an awful hurry."
"I would be, too, in his place," said Davis promptly. He assumed an expression of extreme reluctance. "Well, I suppose I'll have to get well."
Teddy shamelessly squeezed Evelyn's hand, and she as shamelessly squeezed back.
"There are compensations for having to wait," said Teddy generously, "provided, of course, it isn't too long."
Davis looked at them and his eyes twinkled.
"Well, then, in that case——" He started for the rear of the house.
"Where are you going?"
Davis looked over his shoulder with a grin.
"You people compensate each other for waiting," he said amiably. "I'm going to go out in the laboratory and kiss the galvanometer."