“Oh! Oh!” gurgled Amy, choked with laughter again.
“What’s the matter with you, Sis?” demanded her brother.
Jessie forbade her chum to tell, by a hard stare and a determined shake of her head. It was all right to have Darry pay the check—it was really a relief—but it did not seem to Jessie as though she could endure having the matter made an open joke of.
The four settled about the little table. But the Ringold crowd was too near. Belle turned sideways in her chair, even before they were served, and, being at Darry’s elbow, insisted upon talking to him. 101
“Talk about my aunt!” said Burd Alling, grinning. “I’ll tell the world that somebody has a crush on Sir Galahad that’s as plain to be seen as a wart on the nose of Venus.”
“Of all the metaphors!” exclaimed Amy.
Jessie feared that Belle would overhear the comments of Burd and her chum, and she hurried the eating of her second sundae.
“I must get home, Darry,” she explained. “Momsy has gone without me in her car and will be surprised not to find me there.”
“Sure,” agreed Burd quickly. “We’ll gobble and hobble. Can’t you tear yourself away, Darry?” he added, with a wicked grin.
Amy’s brother tried politely to turn away from Belle. But the latter caught him by the coat sleeve and held on while she chattered like a magpie to the young college man. She smiled and shook her bobbed curls and altogether acted in a rather ridiculous way.