“But not by much,” claimed Phil, taking the steps two at a time.
As they turned away, Jessie sent one parting shot over her shoulder:
“A miss is as good as a mile,” she gibed.
CHAPTER III
A LATTER-DAY MIRACLE
Saturday dawned gloriously. The warm rain that had fallen over night had dissolved the last frail bond of winter and had set the spring world free. Trees and bushes and shrubs were frosted with clinging, glistening diamonds that shimmered and gleamed in the sun, while the moist, warm earth sent up a pungent sweetness found only in the early spring.
“Smell it, just smell it!” said Jessie, sniffling rapturously, as she and Evelyn started on their way to Lucile’s.
“Isn’t it great?” Evelyn agreed. “That rain was just what we needed.”