“Oh, you mercenary wretch!” Winnie gasped, while Frank stared, wondering to hear Hodge crack a joke.
Browning was heard saying to the girl at his side:
“I wonder why it is that the most beautiful girls are the stupid ones?”
“Sir!” she exclaimed, giving him a cutting look; “am I to understand that you desire to cast reflections on my mental capacity?”
“Oh, no!” gasped the big fellow, wishing to put himself right in her eyes; “I think you are one of the brightest girls I ever met.”
Then, realizing he had said the wrong thing, and could never straighten it out, he hemmed and hawed and nearly exploded in consternation and confusion, causing the entire party to break into a shout of laughter. As the merriment subsided, the jolly girl exclaimed:
“You flatter me, sir! After all, though, beauty is but skin-deep.”
“Just so,” gurgled Bruce, “but just think what a host of girls there are who haven’t it half that deep.”
“That lets you out, Browning,” said Merry. “You were in so deep that I thought you’d go under sure.”
“The trouble with me,” explained the lazy giant, “is that I’m bothered with sleepless nights, and I sometimes talk in my sleep daytimes. Now, what is a good thing for sleeplessness?”