“Here comes Ben, now,” exclaimed Betty, catching sight of him from the window.
“He said he would call for me about five o’clock,” cried Alice, running with Betty to the front door.
Back they came in a moment, followed by a rosy-cheeked boy, taller than Alice but looking very much like her except that his big blue eyes sparkled with fun, while hers were dreamy and rather serious. Ben had on a short reefer jacket and knee trousers. In his red-mittened hands he held the round cap which he had pulled off from his close-cropped yellow hair.
“This is my twin brother,” said Alice, leading him forward to Miss Ruth.
“My name is Benjamin Franklin Holt,” said the boy, hastily pulling off his right-hand red mitten. His cheeks grew rosier than ever, as he bowed and shook hands with Miss Ruth, but he kept his eyes on her face in a manly fashion.
Ruth Warren liked the little fellow from that moment for his straightforward look. “We are glad to see you, Ben,” she said, “and we were just talking about your coming to the Club sometimes.”
“Are you going to have a Club? I might come when there isn’t anything else to do,” said Ben cheerfully.
“Ben!” exclaimed his sister.
“All right, Peggy. Yes, ma’am, thank you, I’d like to come sometimes.” Ben edged over to the sofa. The two gray cats jumped down when he began stroking them, and rubbed against his legs.
“Ben loves animals,” said Alice, with shining eyes.