THE COUNTRY STORE
The Prices had the right idea about entertaining a crowd of young people: that was to let them entertain each other. If a dozen boys and girls can't have a good time just because they are girls and boys then there is something very dull about them and the combination is hopeless. There was nothing dull about this crowd gathered in the hospitable Price mansion. Harvie was too well bred to let the disappointment about the non-appearance of one guest make him neglect the others. Poor George Massie was the one who could not conceal his feelings. Annie was the first and only girl he had ever cared for and now he sat, a mountain of woe, consuming large quantities of luncheon as though the business of eating were the only solace in life.
"Wake up, Sleepy, the worst is yet to come!" teased Rags.
Sleepy only groaned and dismally accepted another hot biscuit. The funny thing about Sleepy was that he was so in love with Annie that he did not at all mind being teased.
"I am going down to see Annie right after luncheon. Don't you want to go too?" I whispered to Sleepy who was next to me.
"Sure!"
"We are trying to think up a plan by which we can get her hateful old father to let her join us here."
"Brute!"
"Don't you think the girl is pretty, sitting next to Wink?"
Miss Wilcox had plunged into a flirtation with that budding young doctor, placed on her right, not forgetting to turn to her left quite often to include Jack Bennett in her chatter.