"Yo'll tell him?" Jeems stabbed a finger at the door.
"Yes; after supper. I promise."
With a little sigh Jeems relaxed and burrowed down into the softness of
the pillow. "Ah'll be awaitin'," he said.
CHAPTER XIII
ON SUCH A NIGHT AS THIS--
It had been on of those dull, weepy days when a sullen drizzle clouded
sky and earth. In consequence, the walls and floors of Pirate's Haven
seemed to exude chill. Rupert built a fire in the hall fireplace, but
none of the family could say that it was a successful one. It made a
nice show of leaping flame accompanied by fancy lighting effects but
gave forth absolutely no heat.
"Val?"
The boy started guiltily and thrust his note-book under the couch
cushion as Charity came in. Tiny drops of rain were strung along the
hairs which had blown free of her rain-cape hood like steel beads along
a golden wire.
"Yes? Don't come here expecting to get warm," he warned her bitterly.
"We are very willing but the fire is weak. Looks pretty, doesn't it?" He
kicked at a charred end on the hearth. "Well, that's all it's good for!"
"Val, what sort of a mess have you and Jeems jumped into?" she asked as
she handed him her dripping cape.
"Oh, just a general sort of mess," he answered lightly. "Jeems had
callers who forgot their manners. So Ricky and I breezed in and brought
the party to a sudden end--"
"As I can see by your black eye," she commented.
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