“Don’t get me all dirty, Florrie,” she said.

“Hello, Lena,” said Marcia jealously.

“Hello,” Lena said, and looked away frowning as if here was horrid reminder of a sordid past.

“Where’s my five-dollar goldpiece?” Marcia said in a louder voice.

“My goodness, are you going to harp on that all my life?” exclaimed Lena petulantly. “Can’t you see Aunt Lois and Mr. Sweeney want to get home?”

There was no sign of Papa. Aunt Lois hugged them and told them she would come and bring them presents from California as soon as they got unpacked, and tell Grandma she was coming down there and straighten her out first thing in the morning. Florrie and Marcia hung back while the distinguished little party drove off, Aunt Lois blowing kisses to them, Mr. Sweeney trying not to look too swollen up with pride, and Lena pursing up her lips and folding her hands demurely in her lap.

“When I run away, I’ll take you with me,” Marcia said after a long silence. “How would you like that?”

“I wouldn’t want to leave Papa,” Florrie said doubtfully. “But if you want me to go, Marcia, I will. Can I come back when we get there?”

Marcia looked at Florrie critically for the first time and saw that as usual Lena had grounds for her snubbing. Florrie’s fair silky hair was all tousled over one eye and her jumper had a portion of raspberry jam embroidered over it. In the station window she saw that her own petticoat was showing a good three inches on one side, and two buttons were off her blouse.

“Well, I don’t see how a person can be expected to think of every little thing,” she muttered aloud.

They started back toward Grandma’s, cutting across the back way to come up the back steps. This was an error in taste, for Papa and Bonnie Purdy were engaged in deep low-voiced conversation in the shadow of the back stairs. Bonnie was doing all the talking and Papa was listening, earnestly nodding his head. The girls crept around the front way unobserved and waited a long time at Grandma’s till Papa came to get them. They spent the time describing Aunt Lois’s costume over and over again for the old ladies’ amazement.

“Traveling in white—well, I never!” ejaculated Mrs. Carmel several times. “You wouldn’t see me doing it, even in my prime.”