“I hope we shall know when he comes to see Mrs. Abbott, so we can try to get a look at him,” said Katie. “Should you know him again, girls?”
“I should say so; we are not likely to forget that big plaid suit or that high hooked nose.”
“O, he had a high hooked nose, had he?” said Edna. “Perhaps your friend is some relation to that inquisitive peddler who wanted to find out if any one in the school wore mourning. He had that kind of a nose.”
Marion had not joined in the conversation, but while she looped some white baby-ribbon into a small rosette she listened attentively to the girls’ account of their adventure. Now she asked timidly if it would not be better to tell Mrs. Abbott about the man.
“And why should we walk ourselves right straight into hot water?” said Fannie, petulantly. “I know we did wrong in going to the station, but it was no crime. We never have been forbidden.”
“I am the most worried for fear the young man will mention seeing us there when he comes to see her,” said Bell.
“Don’t you worry,” said Lily; “that dark-eyed youth will never come. He’s a gay deceiver. Imagine a fellow like that being a friend of Mrs. Abbott’s.”
“Why in the world should he say so, then?”
“Perhaps he saw from your lamb-like countenance that you were innocent enough to answer his questions. He may have some reason for finding out something about this establishment. As Edna said about her peddler, perhaps he’s an enterprising burglar on the lookout for points.”
“Well, anyway, we didn’t tell him any thing.”