By this time the others had pushed through the underbrush and had come upon a scene which, after a moment, brought roars of laughter from Neale and Hal. And Luke, after a glance at Ruth to make sure she was smiling, joined in.
They simply could not help it.
There sat Tess on a flat rock in a shallow place in the middle of the brook and she was washing her doll’s dress. The water was flowing down on either side of Tess, as if she might be a rock herself, as she sat there in the midst of the brook.
There sat Tess on a flat rock in a shallow place in the middle of the brook.
The stream was up to her waist as she sat down, but she was wetter than this, for she was splashed up to her shoulders, and as she held up the black dress of Clarissa, to see if it needed further scrubbing, water ran from the garment down her freckled face.
“Tess Kenway! What in the world are you doing?” demanded Ruth. “Come right out of there this instant!”
“All right,” said Tess calmly. “I guess Clarissa’s dress is clean, anyhow.”
“Why did you do it? Why are you sitting there?” went on Ruth, for Tess had not yet arisen.
“Did you fall in?” Agnes wanted to know.