"Thank you," said Cathie, a tall girl, with such light hair and sallow face that she looked ten years older than her fourteen summers. "I sometimes know quite as much as a few other people of my acquaintance," she said pointedly.
"I didn't say but that you did," said Alexia composedly. "I said you were generally a goose. And so you are. Why, everybody knows that, Cath."
"Come, come, girls, don't fight," said Polly. "How can you when
Phronsie is getting better? Alexia didn't mean anything, Cathie."
"Yes, she did," declared Cathie with a pout; "she's always meaning something. She's the hatefullest thing I ever saw!"
"Nonsense!" said Polly, with a gay little laugh. "She says perfectly dreadful things to me, and so I do to her, but we don't either of us mind them."
"Well, those are in fun," said Cathie; "that's a very different matter"—
"So you must make these in fun," said Polly. "I would if I were you."
But she drew away from Alexia's arm.
"Polly, don't be an idiot and fight with me," whispered Alexia in her ear.
"Go away," said Polly, shaking her off.
"Polly, Polly, I'll say anything if you won't look like that. See here, Cathie, let's make up," and she ran over, seized the tall girl by the waist and spun her around till she begged to stop.