“You mean that that Nally Hastings you’re always talking about is coming?” asked the boy.
“Yes!” answered both little girls. They did not want to talk too much for they desired to hear what fun Sammy had in prospect.
Miss Nalbro Hastings, from Boston, had become acquainted with the Corner House girls some time before. At first she had had the reputation of being affected and “stuck up,” especially in the manner of her talk.
But later it was learned that she was suffering from the loss of some teeth, which had been knocked out in a runaway-horse accident, and this accounted for her speaking of Neale O’Neil as:
“That charming Mistah O’Neil, who ith tho interethting!”
“Well, if Mrs. Mac isn’t around,” began Sammy slowly—“But where’s your Aunt Sarah?” he suddenly demanded, for he had sharp recollections of how Miss Maltby had more than once sent him “a-kiting,” as she called it, when he had been up to some of his mischief.
“Oh, Aunt Sarah has gone for a ride,” chuckled Tess. “You can tell us, Sammy. But we’ve got to stay in the kitchen until our cakes are done,” she added, lest Sammy’s plan involve going afield with the cake batter still in the oven.
“Oh, we can have some of the fun right here,” replied Sammy. “I guess this is the best place for it, anyhow. You sure Mrs. Mac won’t come down and catch me?” he asked, looking about and cocking his head on one side, to listen more sharply.
“No, she and Agnes and Ruth just went upstairs,” reported Tess. “They’ll be there a long time. Mrs. Mac got the things for us to make the cakes and told us just how to do it. I’ve made a cake before, but Dot hasn’t,” and Tess assumed her superior air which moved Dot to exclaim:
“Well, I’ve eaten cakes, anyhow!”