“For pity’s sake don’t ask them till you are a little better acquainted,” begged Ruth.
Mrs. Heard asked the strange girl: “Won’t you get wet up there?”
“Oh, no; I’m quite dry, thanks. And then I can go inside the wagon if it gets too rough.”
Not only Mrs. Heard, but the girls expressed their surprise at this statement.
“You see,” explained the girl, “we have the cart fixed like a van inside. We can sleep in it if we don’t want to put up our tent. It’s very cozy indeed.”
“Why,” said Mrs. Heard, “this seems to be an entirely new idea. And do you really peddle tinware?”
“Oh, yes. Just like other peddlers. Only the country people would rather trade with us, for we look honest,” and she laughed merrily. “Besides, we did it last summer, too, and almost everybody remembers us in this country.”
“I should think it would be splendid!” cried Agnes, with her usual enthusiasm over anything new.
“Oh, yes; it’s fine. And we are having a nice vacation, Luke and I. Luke is my brother. Luke Shepard. I am Cecile.”
Ruth at once gave in turn the names of the automobile party. Meanwhile Dot said to Tess: