"And ain't he ever blowed about it to the boys?"
"Oh, no! He hasn't even told the school principal—or the man he lives with—or Ruth—or anybody," declared Agnes.
Mr. Sorber looked really amazed. He mopped his bald crown again and the color in his face deepened.
"Why, whizzle take me!" ejaculated the showman, in surprise, "he's ashamed of us!"
Tess's kindly little heart came to the rescue immediately. "Oh, he couldn't be ashamed of his uncle, sir," she said. "And Neale is, really, a very nice boy. He would not be ashamed of any of his relations. No, sir."
"Well, mebbe not," grumbled Mr. Sorber; "but it looks mightily like it."
Despite the roughness and uncouth manner of the man, the children "got under his skin" as the saying is. Soon Tess and Dot bore the old showman off to the summer-house to introduce him to their entire family.
At that moment Ruth arrived—to Agnes' vast relief.
"Oh, Ruthie!" the second Corner House girl gasped. "It's come!"
"What's come?" asked Ruth, in amazement.