“I am sure I wish they had,” said Ray fervently.
“As for bringing back the cannons, I think you ought to have the vote of thanks of the whole town instead of being suspended as if you had done something wrong. To think of your going away over to Berkeley and taking the cannons right off their campus! Oh, it was splendid! I got awfully excited while father was telling me about it. If I had been a boy I would have gone along too—and I told father so.”
“Thank you very much, Miss Nettie,” said Ray. “I only hope your father is as generous in his opinion of us as you are.”
Miss Nettie looked at us with an expression of significance.
“To tell the truth,” she said lowering her voice, “I think father enjoyed the story as much as I did, and I believe he admires you for what you did. But don’t let him know that I told you.”
We were considerably relieved to hear this.
“You will find father in the library, I think,” she added. “Come in and I will see.”
The professor was seated at his table when we entered the library, but he rose at once and greeted us with his cordial smile, and a warm clasp of the hand.
“Good morning, boys,” he said. “I half expected to see you this morning. Be seated.”
Miss Nettie here left us with her father, who resumed his chair, while we sat down opposite him. Then there was an awkward pause.