Page:Carroll Rankin--Dandelion Cottage.djvu/245



HE unhappy girls could not trust themselves to talk as they hastened homeward. They held hands tightly, walking four abreast along the quiet street, and barely managed to keep the tears back and the rapidly swelling lumps in their little throats successfully swallowed until Jean's trembling fingers had unlocked the cottage door. Then, with one accord, they rushed pell-mell for the blue-room bed, hurled themselves upon its excelsior pillows and burst into tears. Jean and Bettie cried silently but bitterly. Marjory wept audibly, with long, shuddering sobs; but Mabel simply bawled. Mabel always did her crying on the excellent principle that, if a thing were worth doing at all, it was worth doing well. She was doing it so well on this occasion 221