"We want to ask if she will come to dinner over to our cottage, if you and her uncle will let her," said Sue.
"Where is your cottage?"
"It is Mr. Louis Le Bras' cottage," replied Johnny.
"You are not Mr. Le Bras' son?"
"I am the son of Mr. Frank Le Bras, who is staying at the cottage while my uncle Louis is in Europe. Felix did not come with us this morning."
"You can come in, and I will speak to Ruth. But I don't understand about your wanting her to come to dinner. Does your mother wish to hire a nurse-girl?"
"No, ma'am," replied Sue, as they were ushered into a room which seemed to be the parlor, it looked so stiff and dark: "I am the youngest child."
"Felix and I got acquainted with Ruth the other night, when we stopped here to inquire our way," explained Johnny; "and my sister and this young lady, Julia, who lives in the next cottage to ours, want to get acquainted with her; and so my mother wished us to ask if she could dine with us to-day; my mother will bring her home in the carriage before dark."
Mrs. Shepard looked very much surprised again.
"I have seen this young lady before," she said, looking at Julia.