“Oh, help yourself! Help yourself!” cried Ned, laughing at the confusion Cologne’s speech had caused. “We will be ‘among those present’ if you like.”
“Now you know very well what I mean!” and Rose-Mary shot a challenging look at Ned. “I want you all to be the very best of friends—”
“Thanks, thanks!” exclaimed Nat, as he and his brother bowed in mock deference. “We promise, I assure. We’ll do our best.”
“Oh, boys are all just alike,” stammered Dorothy’s host. “A pack of teases! Come along Dorothy. Mother is waiting to welcome you. Jack, perhaps you will tell Dorothy’s cousins what to do with their machine. I guess you know how to get acquainted with them without any more introductions.”
This last was said with a defiant look at Ned, who returned it with just the suspicion of a smile. In effect his look said:
“Miss Lavender, you have met a boy who may be like other boys, but he is particularly himself—Ned White—and he just loves to tease girls—like you!”
Rose-Mary was leading Dorothy up the broad steps to the hotel entrance. She turned to see what the boys were doing.
“Well I declare!” she exclaimed. “There they’ve all gone for a ride! I’m sure they’ll have a jolly time. What nice boys your cousins are. Oh, I’m so glad you could come!”
The hotel veranda was thronged with persons enjoying the approach of twilight, for the auto party had not made a hurried trip, having stopped for lunch on the way. It seemed to Dorothy that the chairs were mostly filled with stout ladies with blond hair. She had never before seen so many blonds in one group.
Rose-Mary led the way into the parlor and escorted Dorothy up to a smiling, pretty woman, with such beautiful white hair—the kind that goes with brown eyes and seems to add to their sparkle.