“Oh, my mother won’t care. When I tell her I stayed with Cousin Betty, Mother will write me an absence excuse,” Catherine declared. “Don’t you want to come, too? We can play in the big barn.”
“No, I couldn’t,” said Elizabeth Ann hastily. “Uncle Hiram wouldn’t like it. Would he, Roger?”
“Of course he wouldn’t—for pity’s sake do hurry, Elizabeth Ann,” Roger urged her.
“Ain’t we late enough now, without arguing about staying to play in anybody’s barn?”
“I didn’t ask you, Roger Calendar,” called Catherine, as Elizabeth Ann hastened after Roger who was already moving down the road. “I wouldn’t ask you to play in my cousin’s barn; you might leave her corncrib door open.”
Elizabeth glanced timidly at Roger as they hurried along.
“You’re not mad, Roger, are you?” she ventured presently.
“I haven’t time to be mad,” said Roger. “I told you Catherine wouldn’t go to school; that’s why Dave and all of us hate to see you making a monkey of yourself for a girl like that. We’re going to be good and late for school.”
Elizabeth Ann was hurrying now to keep up with him.
“I’m sorry you waited,” she panted. “You didn’t have to wait, Roger. And Catherine is mean to say things to you the way she does.”