“I didn’t! I couldn’t have! I was nowhere near it!”
“Then who—could—have?” faltered Nancy.
“Someone who—wanted to spite Betty,” Rosa almost whispered this, and still seemed rather shaken from her fright.
“I should suppose everyone in this house would understand his or her duty to Betty,” insisted Nancy. “I guess that tall little stand went over in the wind, Rosa. You know what gales can shoot up from the lake. Have a nice time at Durand’s?”
“Lov-ell-ly, but they mourned over you not coming. You have stolen Gar’s heart from me, I’m afraid,” teased Rosa. “He just kept saying nice things about you all the time. And we’re going to the hotel to-morrow night. You can’t imagine how excited I am—”
“Aren’t you awfully late? Does Margot know you are out so late?”
“No, indeed. I phoned her hours ago and fixed it all up—”
“Rosa, I don’t want to be preachy,” interrupted Nancy, recalling poor Margot’s serious appeal for her help, “but I can’t see what fun you get out of fooling Margot. She thinks such heaps about you—”
“I know. She’s a duck. But one has to have some fun, so I take—mine—this way,” and Rosa swung herself about saucily. “Not that I blame you, little Coz, for trying to reform me. It’s right good of you,” and she flicked a kiss on Nancy’s cheek as she prepared to take herself off.
Nancy was eager to do something definite, and she knew that Rosa’s present mood was not too often displayed. Therefore she risked a straight appeal to the other’s honor.