"
"My engagement to Mr. Page is broken. Do you get me? What do you
suggest?"
I heard a whistle, which I cannot express in italics, and then,
confidentially:
"_You don't say so! Bad break?_"
"Very," I responded firmly.
"_Any details of the disaster available? What?_"
"Not at present," I replied, for it would have been difficult to send
them by telephone.
I could hear poppa considering the matter at the other end. He coughed
once or twice and made some indistinct inquiries of the hotel clerk.
Then he called my attention again.
"_Hello!_" he said. "_On to me? All right. Go abroad. Always done.
Paris, Venice, Florence, Rome, and the other places. I'll stand in.
Germanic sails Wednesdays. Start by night train to-morrow. Bring momma.
We can get Germanic in good shape and ten minutes to spare. Right?_"
"Right," I responded, and hung up the handle. I did not wish to keep
poppa out of bed any longer than was necessary, he was already up so
much later than I was. I turned away from the instrument to go down
stairs again, and there, immediately behind me, stood momma.
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