"Curious, isn't it?" observed Belle, "that the poorer the people
seem, the more dogs they keep."
"What were we talking of?"
"Perhaps misery loves company," quoted Bess.
"Jack?" suggested her sister.
"No, Walter," corrected the other, and they laughed.
"What's the joke?" asked Cora, who had slowed up her car to await the
on-coming of her chums. "Did you try to see how near you could miss
a dog?"
"Something like that, yes," answered Bess, as she related the
occurrence.
There was a period of rather tedious waiting at the station, before a
whistle was heard, announcing the approach of some train.
"There it is!" cried Cora, as she jumped from her car to go to the
platform.
It was only a freight engine, and the girls were disappointed. But,
a few minutes later, the express sounded its blast, and, amid a whirl
of dust, and a nerve-racking screech of brakes, drew into the depot.
"There's Jack!" cried Bess, grasping Cora's shoulder, and directing
her gaze to a certain Pullman platform.
"And Walter's right behind him!" added Belle. "Why, he isn't
carrying Jack!"
"You goose! Jack isn't as ill as all that!" laughed Cora, a bit
hysterically. "Oh, Jack!" she called, waving her handkerchief.
"And there's Harry Ward!" murmured Belle.
"I didn't know he was coming, and, instinctively, her hands went to
her hair. For Harry, whom Belle had met during the summer, had paid
rather marked attention to her--marked even for a summer
acquaintance.
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