Page:Anna Chapin--Half a dozen boys.djvu/70

60 material to work on, and I would take him in a minute if I could. Think of me with an adopted son!” And Bess drew herself up with an air of majesty as she began to devour her orange. Suddenly she laughed.

“I was so amused the other day, Saturday it was, when I went down to Fred’s in the afternoon. I was later than usual, and Rob happened to be there ahead of me. You know I always go right in without stopping to ring,  and that day, as I went, I heard loud voices in  the back parlor. I went in there, and found that the boys had evidently been having a  quarrel, for Fred had turned his back to Rob, and was decidedly red in the face; while Rob sat there, the picture of discomfort, his face pale, but his eyes fairly snapping. He departed as soon as I went in, and neither boy would tell me what was the trouble. Fred said he didn’t feel well, and didn’t want to see Rob, any way. I offered to go away too, but he wouldn’t allow that.”

“What did Rob say for himself?” asked Mrs. Carter.

“He said he supposed Fred was angry at