“Why, that you are Stanley Merrill’s brother! Why didn’t you tell us?” She had both his hands now and was beaming radiantly upon him. “Just to think that we never suspected it! Why, I can’t tell you how proud I am, Rodney! Your dear brother used to come very often to my house to see my boys, and he and I were the best of friends! And to think that you are his brother!”
“Yes’m,” replied Rodney flatly. “It—it’s quite remarkable.”
CHAPTER IX
REFLECTED GLORY
“Guess who we’ve got here in the house!” exclaimed Pete Greenough, encountering Jack Billings in front of the cottage just before supper time that evening. Jack, who had been playing baseball, carried a favorite bat in one hand, and now he raised it threateningly.
“Go ahead with your joke,” he said grimly.
“It isn’t a joke at all,” Pete protested. “It’s something about this chap Merrill. Tad just told me. Who do you suppose he is?”
“Tad?”
“No, Merrill, you silly goat!”