“She won’t!” laughed Polly. “You needn’t fear! I wonder how the boys will like her. She is unusually good-looking, and her clothes are delightful. And I like her eyes. There is fun in her somewhere. You mark my words, Dot Winthrop. Once she learns English, there’ll be something doing. There’s nothing colorless or monotonous about Frieda Lange.”
164CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CAUGHT IN A SHOWER
The three girls, “just the right number, one for each gable,” as Dr. Harlow said, had been very busy that morning. Their beds made, Catherine had gone down to market, while Frieda dusted the living-room, and Hannah swept the porches.
“I like doing things like this,” said Frieda suddenly, as she came to the doorway, and shook her duster energetically. “Do you remember the time we got our own supper in Berlin, Hannah?”
“Indeed I do,” said Hannah heartily, leaning on her broom. “You look awfully pretty this morning, Frieda, in that plaid gingham. Are you going off with Polly, as usual? I don’t see you at all, it seems to me.”
“You have Catherine,” answered Frieda. “Polly is learning German.”
“And you are learning English. I can see that you have improved a lot this week. But you are getting pretty slangy. It would be better for you to learn from Catherine than from Polly.”
Frieda shook her head firmly. “I am in awe 165 of Catherine,” she announced, “and with you I feel weary talking English, for I know you can talk German. But Polly cannot do any other, and I must talk with her. She is delightsome.”
“So is Catherine,” said Hannah, looking at Frieda wistfully. It was a worry to her that these two who were to be together all the next year should be so slow in getting acquainted. “One is obstinate and the other is shy, and I don’t know when they will get over it,” she sighed to herself, as Frieda, seeing Catherine come up the walk, disappeared into the house.