"Hello, Kitty," called back Cleo, delighted to notice the high spirits Kitty flaunted. "We just did blow in from the bay to make a very early call. Hope we haven't interrupted any gardening?" This applied to Kitty's outfit, for she wore blue overalls, and a boy's cap, that looked better on her cropped head than could any other sort of hat, and her bare feet completed a really charming rustic picture.
"Gardening, you said it!" exclaimed Kitty in pardonable slang. "That's what I have to do when 'her nibs' is in town. But thank goodness she's out for the day, and may have to run up to the city" (this in a mocking tone). "I hope she does, and I hope she gets tripped up in the run so she can't get back for a while. What do you think of my little Royal? I call him little Boy Blue, and he calls me Bo Peep, don't we have good times, Roy?"
In answer the small boy rubbed his head against Kitty's overalls, like a fond little kitten.
"We felt we must see you, Kitty," said Cleo seriously, "and we'll have to talk fast, as we left home so early and have to get back. Tommie is in the boat, and he too, must get back to the landing. Kitty, are you all right? and is everything all right?"
"Pretty much," said Kitty with a little wink in Royal's direction. "I'm glad you came and would—you—like to see our lodgings?"
"I'm afraid we can't wait this time," said Grace thinking it would be like Brother Benny to raise a still alarm that Grace had gone to that Looney Land. "But we can come back again soon."
"You are going to take me with you," gleefully announced the boy making a start toward the rocky arch.
"Oh, Roy dear, you wouldn't leave Kitty," protested the little caretaker. "You know we are both going together—"
"But these are my fairies," and tears welled into the saucer blue eyes. "I can't—can't let them go away!" Two monster tears rolled right into the quivering lips.
Cleo and Grace felt very helpless in this sort of predicament. It was one thing to dive off piers, and fish boys or girls out of the depths, but how to bank a flood of baby tears?