“Fishing for compliments, I declare,” laughed Jennie, poking him.
“Why, he’s des the cutest, nicest ‘ittle sing,” cooed his sister, rocking the big fellow in the hammock.
“It’s been an awful task for you to bring him up, Nell,” drawled Jennie. “But after all, I don’t know but it’s been worth while. He’s almost human. If they’d drowned him when he was little and only raised you, I don’t know but it would have been a calamity.”
“Oh, cat’s foot!” snapped Tom, rising from the hammock with a bound. “You girls mostly give me a woful pain. You’re too biggity. Pretty soon there won’t be any comfort living in the world with you ‘advanced women.’ The men will have to go off to another planet and start all over again.
“Who’ll mend your socks and press your neckties?” laughed Ruth from her seat on the piazza railing.
“Thanks be! If there are no women the necessity for ties and socks will be done away with. And certain sure most of you college girls will never know how to do either.”
“Hear him!” cried Jennie.
“Infamous!” gasped Rebecca.
“You wait, young man,” laughed his sister. “I’ll make you pay for that.”
But Tom recovered his temper and grinned at them. Then he glanced up at Ruth.