"Why, Muriel, how do you do?"'
Sally called a careless hello, and Eleanor, too full of laughter to dare speech, only nodded. It was Phyllis that gave a little gasp of astonishment that was repeated in turn by the boy. He recovered himself and pulled off his cap in response to her quick smile.
They were hardly out of earshot before the girls turned to her.
"Phyllis Page, you've known him all the time, you wretch," Rosamond accused.
"I have not," Phyllis denied. "I was never so surprised in my life."
"What's his name?" Sally demanded, but Phyllis shook her head.
"I don't know," she protested, "honestly I don't. I have only seen him once before and then I wasn't really introduced, his first name, or rather his nickname, is Chuck, and that's all I know, except,"—she added provokingly, "that he doesn't believe in brownies." And that was all she would say on the subject, though the girls did their best to make her explain.
"Well, we have to go or Eleanor will faint from hunger," Rosamond said regretfully as they reached the avenue again and waited for the bus. "But I'll find out some more about this, if I have to ask Muriel," she added laughingly.
Sally and Phyllis hurried home. Now that the girls had left them, they forgot everything but Janet and their plans. They were late in reaching Sally's home, but they found a dainty luncheon waiting for them and Sally's mother was delighted to see Phyllis.
"But where's the twin?" she demanded. "I do want to see her so much. Sally says she is the very image of you and a darling too."