Part 34 (1/2)
”What's funny?” he demanded, looking about him vaguely.
”You were wanting to see me.”
”Who told you so?” Sammy asked suspiciously.
”You did yourself just now,” Beth answered, her eyes dancing.
”I didn't.”
”You _did_, Sammy.”
”You're a liar!” said Sammy Lee.
”Sammy, that's rude,” she exclaimed. ”And it's not the way to speak to a young lady, and I won't have it.”
”Well, but I did _not_ tell you I wanted to see you at dinner-time,”
Sammy retorted positively.
”Yes, you did, stupid,” said Beth. ”You asked where I was at dinner-time, and then I knew you had missed me, and you wouldn't have missed me if you hadn't wanted to see me.”
”But,” Sammy repeated with sulky obstinacy, unable to comprehend the delicate subtilty of Beth's perception,--”But I did not tell you.”
”Didn't you want to see me, then?” Beth said coaxingly, waiving the other point with tact.
But Sammy, feeling shy at the question and vaguely aggrieved, looked up and down the street and kicked the pavement with his heel instead of answering.
”I shall go, then,” said Beth, after waiting for a little.
”No, don't,” he exclaimed, his countenance clearing. ”I want to ask you--only you put it out of my head--gels do talk so.”
”Gels!” Beth exclaimed derisively. ”I happen to be a girl.”
Sammy looked at her with a puzzled expression, and forgot what he was going to say. She diverted his attention, however, by asking him how old he was.
”Eleven,” Sammy answered promptly.
”So am I. When were you eleven?”
”The twentieth of February.”
”Oh, then you're older than me--March, April, May, June--four months.
My birthday's in June. What do you do at school? Let's see your books.
I wish _I_ went to school!”
”Shu!” said Sammy. ”What's the use of sending a gel to school? Gels can't learn.”
”So Jim says,” Beth rejoined with an absence of conviction that roused Sammy.
”All boys say so,” he declared.
”All boys are silly,” said Beth. ”What's the use of saying things?