“Now Ned,” said Tavia, in a tone of defiance.
“I only wanted to say,” continued Ned, “that this big brother is probably studying law, and he may know a lot about—well, the number of persons in whom one person may be legitimately interested.”
The small boys were too much absorbed in their meal to pay attention to such a technical discussion. Tavia only turned her eyes up, then rolled them down quickly, in a sort of scorn, for answer to Ned.
“Now for your pudding,” announced Dorothy, who came from the kitchenette with three large dishes of the Brown Betty on a small tray.
“Um-m-m!” breathed the boys, drawing deep breaths so as to fully inhale the delicious aroma.
“What’s that?” asked Ned, as the outside door bell rang vigorously.
In reply Martha announced that the janitor wanted to know if anyone had tied a kite to the lobby rail.
“The janitor!” exclaimed both small boys in one breath. Then, without further warning, they simultaneously ducked under the table.
CHAPTER XIII
THE SHOPPING TOUR
“I guess I’ll wear my skating cap, the wind blows so on top of those ’buses,” remarked Tavia, as she and Dorothy prepared to go downtown to see the shops. It was their second day in New York.