"How came you to have it there, Peter?"
"I—it was in my pocket, ma'am, and I dropped it, I suppose."
"Why was it in your pocket? Why didn't you bring it to me?"
"I wanted—I was just going to read it."
Phil touched his hat, and quietly took his departure. Mrs. Keens said no more, but looked again at the dates on the card.
At this moment a hack drove up, from which issued a most astonishing outpouring of noisy, laughing, chattering blue-flannelled boys, followed by a mother who looked just merry enough to be commander of such a merry crew.
"Hurrah! Hurrah! Pete, we're off! All ready? We can only stay two hours."
"Such a tent—big, striped, and a flag to it; and—"
"Father's going to let us boys shoot with a gun."
"Isn't it jolly to have two weeks less to wait?"