But Ruth was staggering into the room under an immense box.
“Fifteen dollars express charges, mum; not a cent less! Them’s my orders. And extry for carrying the box upstairs. It ain’t my business. I’m too accommodating I am! Where shall I put it down, mum?”
Ruth dropped the heavy bundle on the bed; she couldn’t carry it a moment longer.
“Why, Ruth Stuart!” said Mollie, dancing with glee. “It’s some clothes for us! How did mother get them here in such a hurry? Oh, joy! oh, rapture! I was just fussing about having to wear this old suit to-night.”
Bab was tugging at the heavy cords.
“Foolish Bab!” scoffed Ruth. “You’ll never get it open that way,” and she cut the cord in a business-like fashion with a little knife she always carried.
“Now I’ll run away and leave you,” Ruth continued. “Grace is calling that it is time for my bath. Your turn next. I’ll see the pretty things when I come back.”
Ruth would like to have stayed to see the girls open the box, but she had an instinctive feeling that they would prefer to be alone.
“Here’s a letter from mother. Let’s read that first,” said Bab.
Inside the letter lay two crisp ten-dollar bills!