Jean’s heated countenance expressed reproach, mingled with surprise. She had not time to reply, however, before Rex broke in.
“Oh, but you’ve got to come too,” he said.
“No! thanks—don’t want any,” Jo returned.
“Oh! that’s rubbish—you’ve got to come. Can’t you get anyone to hold the horses?”
“Well, I won’t, if you don’t, Jo,” said Jean firmly. To depart from a rule so recently formed was bad enough, but it was ten times worse to be expected to do it without one’s faithless twin. Mingled with her feelings was a guilty consciousness that she wanted that ice very badly indeed. “Jimmy Fielding will hold the horses. Come on.”
“Oh, all right,” Jo said, capitulating. “After all,” she added to herself, “it’s only threepence a head.”
But it turned out to be rather more than that. After the ices, Rex ordered raspberry vinegar before the twins could interfere; and then it occurred to him that peaches would enliven the journey home, and he secured a bag full of rosy-cheeked freestones. He picked them up and stood aside, cheerfully unconcerned, while Jo paid the bill. Rex had plenty of money in his pockets, but it did not occur to him that others might not be as well off. Older people always paid for him when they shopped together—why not the twins?
The superhuman politeness of their pupil continued during the drive home, scarcely modified even by the consumption of peaches that freely dripped with juice. He asked a great many questions, but did not appear at all interested in any answers. One gathered the impression that he considered it bad manners to sit in silence, and that questions were the easiest way out. The twins, however, were somewhat paralyzed by the rapid-fire nature of his conversation, and found their own supply of small-talk quite unequal to his. It was something of a relief to them when they reached the homestead, and saw their young charge taken over by Billy.
“Wonder what Billy’s thinking?” Jo laughed, as she perched on the end of the table where their mother was sewing.
“What do you think?” was Mrs. Weston’s rejoinder.