“Where you going?” she asked.
“We’re going to see Lottie Hart,” answered Helen.
“Why, so am I!” she exclaimed; “ain’t it fun that we met so?”
“Yes,” said Helen, but she was filled with dismay. How could she get rid of her package!
“What are you taking up to Lottie?” was the next question, as the unfortunate bundle was noticed.
“Oh, nothing!” said Helen, trying to speak carelessly; “it’s something of mine.”
Julia looked as if she did not believe her but said no more, though she looked sharply at it.
Meanwhile Helen was trying to plan some way of getting out of the unpleasant scrape, and at last she said hurriedly, pulling the strap at the same moment to stop the stage, “We’re going to stop here to do an errand; we’ll come on soon. Tell Lottie we’re coming,” she added, as she saw the look of surprise on her friend’s face.
“Why, I’ll stop too—and we’ll all go on together,” she began, half rising, but Helen interrupted rather shortly: “No; you go on and tell her we’re coming; we might be detained, you know.” And without another word the two conspirators hurried out and turned down a side street.
“Wasn’t it horrid that Jule should get in?” said Helen, as soon as the stage had moved on. “She’s the greatest tattler in school; she’ll make a great talk about it. She was very curious about that package.”