“Oh, it holds quite a good many,” Dolly said; “we’ve had sixteen here at a time and it wasn’t so awfully crowded.”
“All right. We’ll bring Chalk and Cheese, eh, Bert?”
“Yep. Give me another piece of fudge, Dollums.”
“You’ll be very exceedingly ill,” remarked Dolly, gravely, as she handed her brother the plate. “Now, see here, Bert, and you, too, Bob, I’ve got you sweetened up, I want to tell you something. To ask you something, rather.”
“Clever Dolly! First fudge, then demands. Well, go ahead. To the half of my kingdom!”
“Now, listen, I’m serious. It’s about Bernice Forbes.”
“No, you don’t!” and Bert grinned. “I know the fair Bernie! None for this citizen, thank you! What you want? Me to take her to a party, I’ll bet. Well, you lose! See?”
“Now, Bert, be quiet,” and Dolly gave him a pleading glance. “Don’t jump at things so. Be still a minute.”
“All right,” put in Bob. “My chum, at his sister’s request, will now be mum. But I’ll take the floor. I hereby assent that Us Two, being for the moment in a position to grace the fair town of Berwick by our gracious presence, utterly decline to spoil our all too short stay in these parts, by so much as an allusion to the impossible Forbes damsel.”
“But you must listen,” and Dolly looked so honestly distressed, that the boys woke up to the fact that she was serious.