Alarmed at the prospect of such a dire calamity, Buttons said:
"Sure he won!"
A moment the girls looked at one another, then Marg exclaimed, looking into Fred's face:
"Really? Did you really beat that big brute of a bully, Fred?"
"Yes."
"Oh, I'm so glad!" cried the girl.
"I think you're a couple of mean things, to tease us so," declared Grace. "Why didn't you tell us in the first place?"
"Because you talked so much we didn't have the chance, and then when he saw you were so sure Bart won, we thought we'd let you have your own way," grinned Buttons.
"Smarty!" snapped Grace.
But Margie was so proud to think the boy of her preference had defeated the rich bully, that she did not share her chum's pique, declaring: