"Well," she cried. "If I ever! What a girl you are! What _were_ you
after? If I ever saw such a runner! I knew you could row, and now I know
you can run. I thought you'd seen a ghost, or something worse. You'd
have run the other way, though. Anyhow," said Rosalie, dropping down on
a second box to get her breath, "I thought I'd see _what_ it was, and I
didn't think you'd mind, if I did."

She looked from Trudy to Collin, with undisguised wonder. Collin only
stared at her. Trudy smiled, but with quivering lips, and traces of her
tears were plain.

"Why-y," Rosalie stammered. "Something's the matter!"

She was the picture of amazement and curiosity, and Collin could not
help smiling. He was dazzled, too, by the gay apparition in the
yellow-ribboned dress, the big, daisy-trimmed hat and the patent-leather
shoes.

Neither he nor Trudy denied that something was the matter. Neither
spoke.

"Well," said Rosalie, with the good-nature which was a part of her,
though half-pouting, "I'm intruding, I suppose. I didn't think it was
anything private, or--solemn."

Her bright eyes turned from one to the other, a funny twinkle in them.

Trudy could not speak, but Collin roused himself.