Babs admitted that he had, while she included in her hopes for Nicky’s artistic training, some good, plain education in the simple lines of grammatical English.
Amid a perfect shower of protestations of their gratitude, the Italians finally allowed the Americans to get into their car, while Nicky went along to tell them about the lost ship model. For this was Friday, and Friday he could tell.
CHAPTER XXVI
TUMBLING IN
“Your sister took it,” said Nicky simply, as the whole party stood in Miss Davis’ parlor waiting to hear.
“My sister—took it!” Miss Isabel Davis could scarcely articulate; she was too surprised.
“Yep. She said you wanted to show it and she didn’t. She said it was hers too, and she gave me five dollars not to tell.” This last admission caused the boy to flush a little under his dark skin, for the taking of that “hush money” had worried Nicky considerably.
“And Miss Davis’s sister knew that you knew where we hid it?” Babs asked in tone, but not exactly in words. “How did she know that?”
“Please sit down,” begged the hostess excitedly. “I am so flustered. Sister is coming home on this train. There’s the taxi——”
And it rumbled up to the door.
Just what was said after that was pretty hard to keep track of because, not only was every one talking at once but every one was so happy each just seemed to bubble up in a perfect torrent of excitement.