“How do you like little Mary’s new hat?”
They walked up Main Street chattering like magpies and forgetting to turn out for anybody, Jim bringing up the rear with Eleanor’s suit case in one hand and a book of Babbie’s and an untidy bundle of manuscript that Madeline had dropped in her excitement tucked under the other arm.
Christy invited the whole party to dinner at the Tally-ho, and they decided that it was quite warm enough to eat in the top story of the Peter Pan annex. Jim had lighted all the Chinese lanterns and hauled up two baskets full of dinner, while the girls chattered merrily on as if they never meant to stop, when Babbie and Mr. Thayer appeared, sauntering slowly down the hill from the direction of Paradise. They didn’t seem at all ashamed of the way Babbie had been snatched away from her own initiation party, but shouted up that they were simply starved to death, and cheerfully assuming that there was dinner enough and room enough for all comers, they annexed themselves to Christy’s party.
“You’re lucky to have a sister to look after you,” Mr. Thayer told Jim. “I opened a big club-house for my mill people last winter, just to please these young ladies, and how do they pay me? By cold, cruel neglect.”
“Nonsense!” Madeline contradicted him cheerfully. “We gave you a splendid start. That’s all we do for anybody.”
“We’re all so busy,” Betty added quickly. “But we are just as interested as we ever were. Isn’t the girl I sent you managing well?”
Mr. Thayer nodded. “Only she can’t seem to discover a genius who’s able to take hold of the prize class.”
“Is that the one my adorable Rafael is in?” demanded Madeline. “Because if it is, I might——”
“It is, but you can’t have it,” Babbie told her firmly. “They changed teachers four times last year, after you dropped them so unceremoniously. This time they’re to have some one who will stick, aren’t they, Robert?”
Mr. Thayer looked uncomfortable, not wishing either to contradict Babbie or to slight Madeline’s offer. “It’s better, of course, but perhaps Miss Madeline will stick this time.”