“Oh, Tess! what are you doing?” cried Agnes, as she and Ruth pulled the small girl to her feet. Tess was gasping for breath, and had evidently swallowed some water.
“I—I—er—gug—I—was—” That was all Tess could say for a while.
“You poor child!” exclaimed Ruth, reaching for a towel, to dry the dripping face. “Did you fall in? And what possessed you to put on your bathing suit?”
“And what have you got around your waist?” cried Agnes.
“That—that—that’s my—my life preserver!” exploded Tess. “If—if you’ll take the towel out of my moo-oo-oo-uth I’ll t-t-tell—you!” she stammered.
“Yes, do let’s let her tell, for mercy’s sake!” exclaimed Ruth. “Did your head go under, Tessie, dear?”
Tess nodded. It was easier than speaking, especially as she had not yet quite got her breath back.
The two older sisters dried her partly on the towel, the little girl raising her hands to keep her sisters from stuffing any more of the Turkish towel into her mouth, and then Dot came up the stairs.
“Is she—is she drowned?” was the awed whisper.
“No, but she might have been,” answered Ruth.