After Emily accuses George of being stuck up during the flashback in Act II, George takes her to Morgan's drugstore to have an ice cream soda.

While they are at the drugstore, George and Emily have a chance to talk.  Emily feels terrible that she said what she did, but George takes it as constructive criticism and thanks her for her candidness.  George tells Emily that he may be going to State Agriculture College in a year and asks if she would write to him.  Emily says she will, but notes the possibility that "being away three years, (George'd) get out of touch with things", and after awhile, her letters "wouldn't be so interesting".  Encouraged by Emily's reaction, George thinks about his plans for awhile, and decides then and there that he will not go away to college after all, because "once you've found a person that you're very fond of...who's fond of you, too, and likes you enough to be interested in your character...that's just as important as college is, and even more so".  He asks Emily if he does "improve and make(s) a big change" in his character, if she could be interested in him, and she responds that she already is, and always has been.  George and Emily share the conversation that is the beginning of a serious relationship right there at the drugstore counter - a relationship that eventually leads to their marriage.