“But what could it be?”
“Haven’t an idea. But, of course, Nicky will come around again. He’ll count me a good customer for his junk.” Dud laughed outright at the idea.
“And here we have been getting the girls after us again,” laughed Babs in her turn. “Isn’t it dreadful the way I’ve been running off with you today? I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“Good thing to give them something to gab about,” Dud flung over his shoulder as the girls and boys flocked around them, pretending all sorts of punishment for their delay in joining in the general fun.
Dudley was so nice, Babs had to admit later, when quiet was descending upon the Burke household.
“Just as nice as Glenn,” she reasoned, “but perhaps all boys were almost as nice when they had had such chances of refinement and environment.”
And the girls? Still a little stubborn on that point, Babs was not willing to pay her own sex such a sweeping compliment. The girls were “nice” of course, much nicer than she had ever given them credit for being, but they were “show-offs” just the same. If they hadn’t been they would never have gone down into the Italian district.
And if Esther and Louise were not always picking flaws in folks’ affairs they wouldn’t have told and retold the silly stories about poor Nicky’s father, who was locked up in jail. The idea of even suspecting that he might have escaped and might be in hiding there, was absurd. As if his house would not have been searched, had he escaped. And who ever said he had escaped, anyhow?
Cara was returning from her bathroom now and she was wearing the loveliest yellow silk gown. It had little flutings of blue ribbons and there were blue-birds embroidered on it, just as if they had flown there.
Babs had not yet undressed, but the sight of Cara recalled her own robe—the hideous black cloth college gown! However could she take that out? How explain her idea of the dormitory masquerade? How could she make a joke of it, anyway?