“I—woof!” He became inarticulate.
“She isn’t quite right,” his sister whispered hurriedly in his ear. “She has spells when she’s weak mentally. You must be kind to her. She only wants you to——”
“`Only’!” he echoed hoarsely. “I won’t ki——” He was unable to finish the word.
“We must get her home,” said Laura anxiously. “Will you come with me, Lolita, dear?”
Apparently Lolita had no consciousness whatever of Laura’s presence. Instead of replying, she tightened her grasp upon Hedrick and warmly reiterated her request.
“Shut up, you parrot!” hissed the goaded boy.
“Perhaps she’ll go if you let her walk with her arms round your neck,” suggested Laura.
“If I what?”
“Let’s try it. We’ve got to get her home; her mother must be frantic about her. Come, let’s see if she’ll go with us that way.”
With convincing earnestness, Hedrick refused to make the experiment until Laura suggested that he remain with Lolita while she summoned assistance; then, as no alternative appeared, his spirit broke utterly, and he consented to the trial, stipulating with a last burst of vehemence that the progress of the unthinkable pageant should be through the alley.