She came tearing back presently and flung herself down into a chair.
"Well?"
But Molly buried her head in the chair-back and said nothing.
"Molly," Nell grasped her shoulder, "was she awful?"
"Y-yes, she was!" sobbed Molly. "Oh, I did want to soften
her--and--and--oh, Nell," her voice suddenly shook with watery laughter,
"K.K. had been at her shoes and--_had eaten all the linings_!"
"Oh, how _delightful!_"
"It's awfully funny, but--oh, she's in a frightful temper! She--she
says I'm an interfering--busybody! And when she wants
coddling--she'll--she'll have a nurse in to do it for her--properly!
She--shut K.K. in the boot closet! She made Sarah clear it out first.
Can't you hear her howling? Oh, Nell, why did I go and forget all about
her shoes? I meant to take them to her directly she came in--all nice
and warm--"
"She might be warm, but she wouldn't be nice, Mol."
"Don't be silly! You know what I meant. Of course, it's all very funny
to you--"
"My dear Molly, you must confess it is rather funny!"
Molly began to shake with laughter. "Oh, Nell, and K.K. looked so
beautifully meek and innocent and the linings only little bits of
leather left sticking out--and they're _such_ big, flat shoes! And
K.K.'s toe-scratches all over them. Oh, and Nell--" Molly couldn't go
on for a while--"while she--was talking--so awfully majestic and
angry--oh, _Nell_!--K.K. seized a shoe out of her hand and fled with it,
shaking it--you know how she does! Oh, I'm glad you weren't there!"
After a while Nell went upstairs. She listened outside the boot closet;
all was still. A good deal surprised, she went into her room. Sheila
Pat, in her petticoat, sat huddled up on a chair, scissors in hand,
bending over the frock she had just taken off.
"What are you doing, Atom?"
She lifted a worried face.
"I'm just lengthing it," she said curtly.
"Oh, Kate Kearney, how did you get out of the boot cupboard?"
"I let her out," calmly. "I tried all the keys on the doors, and,"
triumphantly, "Sarah's fitted it!"
"Sheila Pat, I'm ashamed of you. My dear child, you're not unpicking
the stitches at all--you're merely cutting little snips in the stuff.
And, anyway, you're not to do it."
"I like this dress, but it's rikkleously short. I don't think it's
_perlite_ to wear them so short, Nell."
"Well, you'll have to be impolite then. Come along into the Stronghold,
sweetheart. You're frozen."
"I did want to wear it to go and see that boy! Nell, wouldn't _you_
just let down the hem?"
"No, Atom, I won't. I hate long frocks for short atoms."