"What Mr. Con Murphy said would happen some day. It's all out about Neale——Poor Neale! The dam's busted!"
It was several minutes before Ruth could get any clear account from her sister of what had happened. But when she did finally get into the story, Agnes told it lucidly—and she held Ruth's undivided attention, the reader may be sure.
"Poor Neale indeed!" murmured Ruth.
"What can we do?" demanded Agnes.
"I don't know. But surely, there must be some way out. I—I'll telephone to Mr. Howbridge."
"Oh, Ruthie! I never thought of that," squealed Agnes. "But suppose Neale comes before you can get Mr. Howbridge here?"
Ruth put on her thinking cap. "I tell you," she said. "Introduce me to Mr. Sorber. Get him to promise to stay to supper with Neale. That will give us time."
This plot was carried out. Ruth saw Mr. Sorber, too, under a much more favorable light. Dolls were much too tame for Dot and Tess, when they realized that they had a real live lion tamer in their clutches. So they had Mr. Sorber down on a seat in the corner of the summer-house, and he was explaining to them just how the lions looked, and acted—even how they roared.
"It's lots more int'resting than going to the circus to see them," Dot said, reflectively. "For then you're so scared of them that you can't remember how they look. But Mr. Sorber is a perfectly safe lion. He's even got false teeth. He told us so."
Mr. Sorber could scarcely refuse Ruth's invitation. He was much impressed by the appearance of the oldest Corner House girl.