Yet his aunt did not clearly understand what point he was trying to make at the present moment. In reply she murmured something about being sorry; but this was not the time for such a discussion. In any case, his father must, of course, know best.
Then, struggling to get on her feet again and finding the girl beside her trying to help, Mrs. Burton for the first time acknowledged their introduction. She scarcely looked at the girl, because Billy again took up the conversation and was more amazing this time than before.
“I do hope you will take Vera to camp with you, Tante. She is a member of mother’s Camp Fire club and mother likes her. Besides, she ought to get away from her family.”
Billy’s effrontery or his belief in his own judgment affected his aunt curiously. She had never known anything like it before. However, she had seen but little of Billy in the last few years, and before now he had appeared only as a shy, delicate boy.
Fortunately, before having to reply one way or the other to his latest demand, Mrs. Burton observed Betty Graham riding up the road toward her as rapidly as her horse could travel. Betty’s concern over her friend’s experience and its possible unfortunate consequences was in striking contrast to the coldness and lack of interest of the younger generation.
Afterwards, returning home a little later on an entirely subdued animal, Mrs. Burton regretted that she had not looked at Billy’s friend more carefully. At present she believed she would hardly recognize the girl if they chanced to meet again. And undoubtedly the Russian girl and her nephew must be devoted friends.
CHAPTER V
Observation
Two girls were standing on the rear platform of a big observation car that had left Chicago a number of hours before.
They were charmingly dressed for travel—one in a brown corduroy coat and skirt, a cream-colored blouse and a soft brown felt hat, with a single cream-colored wing in it, and the other in blue. The first was a small, dark girl with a brilliant color, scarlet lips and black eyes. But little in the swiftly passing landscape seemed to escape her interest.
The other girl was perhaps a year older and had light golden-brown hair. Her eyes were sometimes gray, sometimes blue and now and then faintly green, should she chance to be standing under a group of trees or surrounded with any green foliage. Her dress was like that of her companion except for the difference in color. Her expression was less animated; her vision appeared to be not only an outward but an inward one. She saw the landscape before her with pleasure and yet had even greater pleasure in the reflections it brought to her mind.