“It’s someone with hair just like yours, anyway,” says Peggy.

“Think of that!” says I.  “Does red hair throw Aunty into convulsions, or what?”

“Aunt Marjorie says it’s because you—­that is, because the one she meant isn’t anybody,” says Jane.  “He’s poor, and all that.  Are you poor?”

“Me?” says I.  “Why—­say, what is this you’re tryin’ to pull off on me, impeachment proceedings?  Come now, don’t you guess your Aunt Marjorie’ll be wantin’ you?”

“No,” says Peggy.  “She told us for goodness sake to run off and be quiet.”

“What about this Miss Vee party, then?” says I.  “Don’t she need you to help her hook up?”

“We just came from her room,” says Peggy.

“She pushed us out and locked the door,” adds Jane.

“Great strategy!” says I.  “Show me a door with a key in it.”

“Pooh!” says Peggy.  “You couldn’t put us both out at once.”

“Couldn’t I?” says I.  “Let’s see.”

With that I grabs one under each arm, and with the pair of ’em strugglin’ and squealin’ and rough housin’ me for all they was worth, I starts towards the livin’ room.  We was right in the midst of the scrimmage when in walks Vee, with her hat and furs all on, lookin’ some classy, take it from me.  But the encouragin’ part of it is that she smiles friendly, and I smiles back.

[Illustration:  We was right in the midst of the scrimmage when in walks Vee.]

“Well, you found someone, didn’t you, girls?” says she.

“Oh, Vee, Vee!” sings out Peggy gleeful.  “Isn’t this Torchy?”

“Your Torchy?” demands Jane.

I tips Vee the signal for general denial and winks knowin’.  But, say, you can’t get by with anything crude on a pair of open-eyed kids like that.

“Oh, I saw!” announces Jane.  “And you do know him, don’t you, Vee?”

“Why, I suppose we have met before?” says she, laughin’ ripply.  “Haven’t we, Torchy?”

“Now that you mention it,” says I, “I remember.”  And we shakes hands formal.

“Came to see the baby, I hear,” says Vee.

“Oh, sure!” says I.  “Maybe you could tell me about him first, though, if we could find a quiet corner.”

“Oh, we’ll tell you,” chimes in Peggy.  “We know all about Baby.  He has a tooth!”

“Say,” says I, wigglin’ away from the pair, “couldn’t you go load up someone else with information, just for ten minutes or so?”

“What for?” says Jane, eyin’ me suspicious.

“We’d rather stay here,” says Peggy decided.

I catches a humorous twinkle in Vee’s gray eyes as she holds out her hands to the girls.  “Listen,” says she confidential.  “You know those hermit cookies you’re so fond of?  Well, Cook made a whole jarful yesterday.  They’re in the pantry.”

“I know,” says Jane.  “We found ’em last night.”

“The Glue Sisters!” says I.  “Now see here, Kids, I’ve just thought of a message I ought to give to Miss Vee.”