let Carmelita greet him and show him to the sitting
room where I waited.
"Well," he said gazing about nervously. He was
wearing a business suit and tie, "your sister's not at
home?"
"Fortunately, no," I remarked.
He looked relieved about that, too.
"Fine," he muttered still standing just inside the
doorway.
"What was so important that it couldn't wait for
later in the day, Samuel?" I demanded. "It's only a
matter of a few more hours."
"This couldn't wait a few more minutes," he
said smiling like someone who had a deep secret he
wanted to reveal. "Mind if I sit?"
"Of course not. Please do," I said and he took
the chair across from the settee. He fumbled his hat in
his hands for a moment and then smiled again. "Well, it's a fine day for the Childs' engagement
party," he said.
"Yes, but I knew about the weather before you
arrived, Samuel." He saw my patience dwindling._ Finally,, he cleared his throat, straightened his
shoulders and began.
"I was thinking on the way over here that you
and I haven't been together all that long, but we sure
have spent qualitytime together, and so," he
continued, barely taking a breath, "it's not the length
of time that matters between two people, it's the value
of the time they've spent in each other's company. Do
you agree with that?"
"Certainly," I said.