CHAPTER VII
AN OPEN DOOR
The Scollard girls of all sizes, and Gretta too, closed up around Ralph under the light of a street light to gaze at him after his amazing announcement.
"Mrs. Jones-Dexter your great-aunt!" cried Happie.
"That fault-finding, snappish person!" gasped Laura.
"That lovely little child your cousin!" exclaimed Margery.
"There's nothing flattering in your remark, Margery. What kind of a cousin would I be likely to have except a lovely little child? You'd expect a family resemblance, wouldn't you?" demanded Ralph. "If you girls get wonder-struck and stand bunched up on this corner long, we'll all be run in by a policeman, under the law that forbids push-carts and things blocking the sidewalks."
Happie laughed and set an example to the others by moving on at once. "You can't expect us to hear such a surprising piece of news as this unmoved," she said.
"No, but you were hearing it unmoved; that's what I was talking about," retorted Ralph. "There's no use in getting stirred up. Mrs. Jones-Dexter was my mother's aunt before I was born—there's nothing new about it."
"Well, but Ralph, we should like to hear how it happened," said Laura eagerly.