“Nonsense!” exclaimed the colonel.
“Of course that’s nonsense,” said Custer. “She knows as well as the rest of you that I was innocent.”
He was thinking how much more surely Shannon knew his innocence than any of them.
During dinner Eva regained her old-time spirit. More than once the tears came to Mrs. Pennington’s eyes as she realized that once more their little family was united, and that the pall of sorrow that had weighed so heavily upon them for the past six months had at last lifted, revealing again the sunshine of the daughter’s heart, which had never been the same since their boy had gone away.
“Oh, Cus!” exclaimed Eva. “The most scrumptious thing is going to happen, and I’m so glad that you are going to be here too. It’s going to be perfectly gorgeristic! There’s be a whole regiment of them, and they’re going to be camped right up at the mouth of Jackknife. I can scarcely wait until they come—can you?”
“I think I might manage,” said her brother; “at least until you tell me what you are talking about.”
“Pictures,” exclaimed Eva. “Isn’t it simplimetic gorgeristic? And they may be here a whole month!”
“What in the world is the child talking about?” asked Custer, appealing to his mother.
“Your father——” Mrs. Pennington started to explain.
“Oh, don’t tell him”; cried Eva. “I want to tell him myself.”