“Better ask Todd Stewart. He’s probably had Thaine kidnaped for this occasion,” somebody else suggested.
“I tried to do it and failed,” Todd Stewart assented. “I don’t need him in my business. He can start to school today if he wants to.”
“Well, you don’t want him to go, do you, Jo?”
“Oh, I don’t care especially. I’m going away myself, but not to the University, but I’m not going till papa’s elected,” Jo replied. 281
“And if papa’s defeated we stay home all winter, eh?” Todd questioned.
“That all depends,” Jo replied.
“Of course it does. What is it, and who depends on it? Jo, I’ll help you if you must defend yourself.”
Thaine Aydelot bounced down from the rocky bank above into the midst of the company and became at once Jo’s escort by common consent.
“Now life’s worth living, Thaine’s here. Let’s have dinner,” the boys urged.
It was not Leigh Shirley’s fault that Thaine should be placed between her and Jo at the spread of good things to eat; nor Jo’s planning that she should be between Thaine and Todd Stewart. But nobody could be unhappy today.