“A pirate! Why child, there aren’t any pirates.”
“Not any at all?”
“You don’t read about any, do you?”
“You don’t read about lots of things. You never read about my wrapping bundles, did you? But I am, just the same. Everything doesn’t get in the papers. I think it would be wonderful if he turned out to be a real pirate. You’d think he was one if you heard some of the stories he told me to-night about the sea.”
“All right,” laughed her companion, “if you can make him out a pirate, a nice friendly sort of pirate who is kind to ladies and all that, you’re welcome. But for my part, I’d give a lot more to know what that self appointed brother of yours has done to James. It must have been something rather terrible.”
“Yes,” agreed Cordie, “it surely must.”
“Listen!” exclaimed Lucile. “There go the chimes! Ten o’clock, and you work in the morning!”
Leaping from her chair, she began cleaning up the remnants of their little feast. Ten minutes later the room was darkened for the night.
Though the room was dark, and though Lucile was tired enough for sleep, her eyes did not close at once. She was thinking and her thoughts were not of the most cheerful sort.
The outlook, she was forced to admit, was gloomy enough. She had hoped to save enough money from her pay at the store to start her in the new term at school. This hope was fast dwindling away. Her own expenses had been greater than she had thought they would be. Added to this was the increase in her room rent due to the presence of Cordie. Her dream that Cordie was saving money had been blighted only the night before, for on that night Cordie had brought home the gorgeous dressing gown she had worn as they sat over the cocoa cups.