Minick’s friends’ daughters had had a try at him in vain. The old people had urged him to marry, but it had been wonderful to have him around the house, just the same. Somebody young around the house. Not that George had stayed around very much. But when he was there you knew he was there. He whistled while dressing. He sang in the bath. He roared down the stairway, “Ma, where’s my clean shirts?” The telephone rang for him. Ma Minick prepared special dishes for him. The servant girl said, “Oh, now, Mr. George, look what you’ve done! Gone and spilled the grease all over my clean kitchen floor!” and wiped it up adoringly while George laughed and gobbled his bit of food filched from pot or frying pan.

They had been a little surprised about Nettie. George was in the bond business