Part 3 (1/2)
”We had all we wished,” faltered the circ.u.mspect Ray Stuart. ”You were entirely welcome--might have saved, at least, the dishes.”
”Oh,” breathed Ed, ”it is so much pleasanter to poach--don't spoil it.”
Ed cast a most appreciative glance at Ray. She expected it, of course, and accepted it with a smile.
Clip was talking earnestly to Jack, Cora was being entertained by Walter, who, at the same time, managed to keep up a running conversation with the group of girls now busy putting away the lunch things.
”We had a dreadful accident coming out,” said Belle. ”Bess ran over--”
”A square meal in a square basket,” interrupted Bess. ”I demolished the hamper that Ida Giles had bestowed on Sidney Wilc.o.x. It was a peace offering, I believe.”
”And you should have seen the kind of 'pieces' Bess made of it,”
commented Hazel with a merry laugh.
”Hus.h.!.+” hissed Ed with his finger to his lips.
”Something tells me that the demolished hamper forbodes evil. You will regret the day, Miss Elizabeth, that you spilled Sid Wilc.o.x's-”
”Pumpkin pie,” finished Cora. ”I never saw such pumpkiny pumpkin pie in my life. I can smell it yet!”
”Mrs. Giles' famous home-made,” quoted Walter. ”Well, it might have been worse--they might have eaten that pie.”
”Say, fellows,” said Jack suddenly, ”this is all very pretty--the girls, I mean, of course--but does it smite any one of you young rustics that we have an engagement--ahem! At three-thirty, wasn't it?”
”Precisely,” declared Ed. ”So much obliged for the feed; and do we make a party call?”
”Of course,” answered the pretty Ray, attempting to tie her huge scarf, without having any idea of doing so. ”We shall expect--”
”The bunch?” interrupted Jack, knowing Ray's preference for the handsome Ed.
”How--”
”Naughty,” simpered Cecilia. ”Jack, how can you use slang in the presence of ladies?” and she a.s.sumed the characteristic ”tough” walk, which had always been one of Clip's most laughable capers.
”Loidies!” echoed Jack, tilting his cap and striking an att.i.tude appropriate to that a.s.sumed by Cecilia. He slipped his arm within hers, and the pair ”strutted off,” in the fas.h.i.+on identified with the burlesque stage.
”Here! here!” called more than one young lady. ”Come back here, Clip!
There are to be no boys!”
”This isn't a boy,” called back Cecilia, keeping up the performance.
”He's only a--”
”Don't you dare!” threatened Jack.
The girls began to gather the things up from the gra.s.s.
”Now don't hurry,” remarked Ed coolly. ”The fact is, we are not going your way.”
”Don't want us!” almost gasped Ray.