“Now, you wait, Dotty Rose. After I say what I’ve come to say, you may not want—”
“Yes, I will, Dolly! I don’t care what you’re going to say. You may jump on me all you like,—I was a pig, but I’m sorry, and—”
“I’m sorry, too! You shan’t be sorry before I am!”
“But I have to, Doll! You know I’m always everything before you are. I’m quicker-jointed, or something. But never mind that, I’ve got you back, you dear old thing, and now you can go ahead and scold me, all you want to. Oh, Doll, hasn’t it been horrid?”
“Hasn’t it! Well, as we’re all right again, let’s have this Bernice business out once and for all. If you say so, Dotty, I’ll give up trying to make her more popular. I’ve thought it all out, and it’s this way. You’re my best friend, and I want you to be, and if it bothers you so to have me friendly with her,—why, I won’t be, that’s all.”
“Oh, Dollyrinda, how sweet you are! You make me feel like an awful pig. But you see,—well, I s’pose I was jealous. I thought you’d like Bernice more and more, till you liked her better’n everybody and better’n me. And I just couldn’t stand it!”
“Why, Dorothy Rose! The idea of your thinking that!” and Dolly clasped the tousled black head to her breast and kissed the tear-wet cheeks. “We’re special friends, nobody could come between us! They’d just better try it!”
“Then that’s all right!” and Dotty’s quick-working mentality jumped to a happy conclusion of their troubles. “Now, look here, Doll, you don’t have to throw Bernice over entirely.”
“I will, if you want me to.”
“But I don’t want you to. Your idea of making her one of our set is all right, now that I know we’re all right. And I’ll help you.”