“I’m in me bare feet,” answered the embarrassed boy, “an’ they can’t scratch.”
Then Dr. Hale dragged Nicky forward—he had to drag him literally, for the boy wanted very much to escape. He told the astonished crowd something of the recent history of the Marcusi family and Nicky’s brilliant prospects.
“And you know his father,” Barbara reminded the speaker so that every one in the room could hear her. “The Washington authorities have promised to release Nicky’s father,” she managed to say. “They have found him innocent,” she declared indignantly. “He never should have been—have been taken from his family,” she insisted, as she always had done when jail or prison might have been the word to choose.
“Hump!” grunted Nicky, “nobody never would have knowed that if it hadn’t a-been for you!”
“Nicky!” Barbara tried to hush him.
“He’s right,” sang out Cara’s voice. “Barbara Hale has been working all summer to help this Marcusi family and we girls were so stupid we didn’t even——”
“You did as much as I did,” interrupted Babs, insisting upon paying the compliment to Cara, in about the way girls insist upon paying each other’s carfare while the conductor waits.
But the ladies didn’t wait; they clapped.
END
This Isn’t All!