The feeling of disappointment only lasted for a moment, for was
not a travelling man, as the drummer is always called in country towns,
a person of experience and knowledge of the world, as well as being not
infrequently shrouded in mystery? As she pondered on the card, wondering
if she dared put it in her pocket, he said in a matter-of-fact way,
again extending the wallet: "Don't hesitate, take the deck, may come
handy, father like to keep goods in stock some time. That's my regular;
carry a side line too, perfumes and an A1 hair restorer. Got all my
samples at Oaklands depot. You mind stopping there on the way? Want to
get fresh collar."
No, of course Fannie would not mind; this last request fixed her
companion firmly in her esteem. Any other man of her acquaintance would
have removed his collar and proceeded without one, never giving the
matter a thought; in fact, she had been momentarily expecting that this
would happen. Now she would have the bliss of taking him home in all the
perfection of his toilet as she first beheld him.
From that moment she grew more conversational, and his utterance became
less jerky, until, when they finally drove up back of the long red brick
railway station at Oaklands, a little before noon, she had not only given
him a synopsis of local history, but was, in her excitement, vainly
trying to recollect what day of the week it was, so that she might judge
of the dinner probabilities at home, also if it would be safe to ask him
to stay.
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