“I know!” cried Ruth, suddenly. “If anybody will remember them, it’s Miss Pettis.”
“Another of your queer friends, Ruth?” asked Madge, laughing.
“Why—Miss True Pettis isn’t queer. But she knows about everybody who lives in Darrowtown, or who ever did live there—and their histories from away back!”
“A human encyclopedia,” exclaimed Heavy.
“She’s a lovely lady,” said Ruth, quietly, “and she’ll do anything to help these unfortunate Rabys—be sure of that.”
The late dinner was announced, and by that time the twins, as well as Sadie, had become a little more used to their surroundings. Willie and Dickie had been put into “spandy clean” overalls and shirts before Mrs. Caslon would let them out of her hands. They were really pretty children, in a delicate way, like their sister.
With so many about the long dining table, the meals at the Steele home at this time were like a continuous picnic. There was so much talking and laughter that Mr. and Mrs. Steele had to communicate with signs, for the most part, from their stations at either end of the table, or else they must send messages back and forth by one of the waitresses.
The twins and Sadie were down at Mrs. Steele’s end of the table on this occasion, with the girls all about them. Ruth and the others took a lot more interest in keeping the orphans supplied with good things than they did in their own plates.
That is, all but Heavy; of course she wasted no time in heaping her own plate. The twins were a little bashful at first; but it was plain that Willie and Dickie had been taught some of the refinements of life at the orphanage, as both had very good table manners.
They had to be tempted to eat, however, and finally Heavy offered to run a race with them, declaring that she could eat as much as both of the boys put together.