Part 9 (2/2)
”It's only Short and Long, here, who 'does the teachers proud,'” said her brother, with a grin. ”Hear about what he got off in Ancient History cla.s.s the other day? Professor Dimp pretty nearly set him back for _that_.”
”Aw--now,” growled Billy. ”He asked for a date, didn't he?”
”What's the burn?” demanded Bobby, briskly.
”Why, Old Dimple asked Billy to mention a memorable date in Roman history, and Billy says: 'Antony's with Cleopatra.'”
”Oh, oh, oh!” gasped Jess. ”That's the worst kind of slang.”
Mrs. Morse paid the young folk very little attention. She had withdrawn from the group and was busy with pencil and notebook.
”When mother gets to work that way, she heeds neither time, place, nor any pa.s.sing event,” laughed Jess. ”She expects to sketch out her whole book while she is at camp with us.”
”She's going to be a dandy chaperone,” declared Chet. ”Suppose we'd had Miss Carrington along?”
”Goodness!” groaned Bobby. ”Don't let's mention that lady again this summer.”
”And we can cut out Old Dimple, too,” grumbled Billy Long.
”He's off somewhere on a trip, so we won't have to bother about him,”
said Chet, with confidence.
The girls had begun to compare notes regarding what they had packed in their suitcases, long before the boats reached Lumberport; and some of them discovered that they had neglected to bring some very essential things.
”You'll just have to tie up beyond the Main Street bridge, and give us a chance to shop, Chet,” announced Laura. ”We're making good time as it is.”
”Isn't that just like a parcel of girls?” grumbled Billy. ”Now, we fellows didn't forget a thing--you bet!”
”Wait till we unpack at camp,” chuckled Chet. ”We'll see about that, then.”
He and Lance agreed to make the halt as the girls requested; and they shouted to the crowd on the smaller boat to do the same. As Lily Pendleton was one of the girls who must shop in Lumberton, Purt Sweet was most willing to tarry and accompany the girls ash.o.r.e.
He was, in fact, the only escort the girls had when they went up into the town in search of the several articles they needed. The dude was evidently proud of his outing suit and, as Billy suggested, ”wanted to give the people of Lumberport a treat.”
So he swaggered along up Main Street with the girls. Not a block from the wharf at which the boats were tied he met with an adventure.
”Whatever impression Purt is making on the good people of this town,”
whispered Nellie Agnew to Laura, ”he has certainly smitten a four-footed inhabitant with a deep, deep interest.”
”What's that?” asked Laura, turning swiftly to see. Bobby Hargrew looked, likewise. Purt and Lily were behind, and Bobby immediately shouted:
”Say, Purt who's your friend?”
”What's that, Miss Hargrew?” asked Purt staring. ”I weally don't get you--don't you know?”
”But he'll get _you_ in a minute,” chuckled Bobby.
”Don't pay any attention to her, Mr. Sweet,” said Lily. ”She's a vulgar little thing.”
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