But Molly was nothing if not loyal, and she came to the rescue in fine style.
“No doubt he’d like his face clean same as another; but if a body doesn’t happen to have a bowl and towels handy, what is a body going to do? If we’d known we were coming to pay this visit I’d a had him in to our kitchen and scrubbed and combed him well. But we didn’t. We just met, out on the Avenue, and tried a skate together. That’s all. But it makes me think my fifteen minutes is more than up. I must go home right away. Mother’ll be displeased if I’m disobedient and overstay. So if you please, ma’am, I’ll be going.”
Again Miss Lucy lifted her white hand to stay proceedings.
“Wait, child. How impetuous you are! Mary, just step to this girl’s house and tell her mother where she is; also that I request the favor of her company for a short time. Assure Mrs.—What did you say your name was?”
“Johns, ma’am. Father’s John Johns, mother’s Mary. I’m Molly, then come the three J’s, and Sarah Jane—Never mind, though. You’d not be apt to remember or care. Shall I sit by Towsley? I think he’d feel more comfortable if I did.”
“Certainly, if you like. Please help yourself, since Mary has gone on my errand. No, I thank you. I do not care for any.”
Miss Armacost caught the astonishment in Towsley’s eyes as she thus indifferently declined ice-cream, and was amused by it. A whimsical impulse seized her to furnish the waif with all of the dainty which he could possibly consume, and satisfy his craving for one time, at least. In all her life she had never seen any person eat the cold stuff as he did. His mouth opened like a trap, a spoonful went into it, the mouth closed, reopened, another spoonful—no pause, no effort of swallowing, no lingering enjoyment of a delicious dish. She remarked:
“You like ice-cream, Towsley, I perceive.”
“Um’m.”