CHAPTER X
ALEXANDER TAKES HOLD
Two afternoons later all the girls were gathered in the parlor promptly at three, but Alexander had not yet put in an appearance. He attended the public school, which did not dismiss as early as high school, and he would probably be at least three quarters of an hour late, as he was usually kept in for misbehavior. During his absence, the girls discussed him eagerly.
"Do you know," vouchsafed Corinne, "I think he is the cleverest little rascal, and so comical that I want to laugh whenever I look at him! How is it I've never seen him before?"
"Why, the explanation is," answered Bess, "that he never stays in the house afternoons if he can possibly help it. He's always out running the streets or playing baseball in the vacant lots. But the other day it was cold and damp, and Sarah discovered that he had a bad sore throat and insisted that he stay indoors. He's rather afraid of Sarah, though he does tease her frightfully. That's why he was around trying hard to annoy us—he hadn't anything else to do!"
"Well, he's a little trump, anyway!" insisted Corinne. "And did you ever hear such a glorious collection of slang!"
"Isn't it awful!" sighed Margaret. "Mother is terribly worried about him and the way he talks. And yet she can't help laughing, herself, sometimes, at the funny things he says. Really, he often seems to be speaking in some foreign language that I can't understand a word of!"
"What does he mean by 'dope,' anyway?" mused Corinne. "I can't imagine, unless it's 'news' or 'information.' You just have to construe his remarks, as you do the Latin! I think we'll have to get a dictionary of slang if he keeps on like this!"
"But, oh, what do you suppose he is finding out!" exclaimed Margaret. "What can he possibly know that can have anything to do with our secret?"
"You never can tell!" said Bess. "He goes snooping around this neighborhood in all sorts of places, and talks with all sorts of people. Perhaps he has stumbled on something, though I have my doubts. But here he comes now!"
Alexander entered the house, slamming the basement door and singing at the top of his high sweet voice: