“Why, it is Mrs. Ruggles,” cried Nancy, glancing over her shoulder. “Merry plays so many jokes that we can never tell when he is in earnest and when he isn’t. Do come in, Mrs. Ruggles. What brings you up to town so early?”
Mrs. Ruggles, who was slow of speech, did not reply at first. She moved into the room with the step of a grenadier and stood before Billie.
“Are you Miss Wilhelmina Campbell?” she asked.
“She is the same,” put in Merry, “but she’ll answer to the name of Billie.”
Billie nodded and smiled. She was really too much engaged in admiring Mrs. Ruggles to reply to her question.
Nancy pushed up an armchair.
“Please sit down, Mrs. Ruggles, and perhaps you will have a cookie or a cup of tea.”
“No, Miss Nancy, I am not hungry and I couldn’t eat anyway, until I finished what I have to say.”
“That’s right, Mrs. Ruggles. Get it off your system. Are you going to scold Billie?” cried Merry.
“No, my boy. I’m going to thank her. She’s a fine young lady. I have just seen Miss Campbell and she has told me.”