Crackers and a red-coated cheese made their appearance, also a big basket of fruit, and Uncle Ned had brought over a box of bonbons, so the merry crowd sat for a long time over their dessert—so long, indeed, that the boys were obliged to leave the table and scurry away to catch their home-bound train.
“You’ll have a few dishes to wash,” said Harry Bond, with a twinkle in his eye. “But that’s woman’s work—a nice housewifely occupation.”
“Oh, they’ll be done all right,” said his sister; “and now run, Harry, or you’ll be late. Give lots of love to mamma and grandma, and tell them—” But Harry was out of sight and hearing by that time, so Marjorie didn’t send her message.
“Now!” said Betty, as they turned back to the deserted dining-room. “What a clutteration! But I s’pose if ’twere done when ’tis done, ’twere well ’twere done quickly.”
“Yes,” said Hester the practical; “let’s fly at it and clear everything up, and then sit out on the veranda and talk it all over.”
Aunt Molly and Uncle Ned were politely invited to go home, and then the many hands went at the work, and it was accomplished with surprising quickness.
Then the Blue Ribbon Club grouped itself on the veranda, and if those eight tongues didn’t wag!
They talked as an octave until bed-time, and then, breaking up into duets, they kept on talking until they fell asleep.
CHAPTER XIII
HIDE-AND-SEEK