“Huh,” he muttered, “she’d ’a’ let me in fast enough if I’d been dressed up stylish! I know ’em! They’re all alike!”
With a heavy sigh he went slowly down the stone steps.
A soft south breeze ruffled the bird’s feathers, and he let go a gay trill.
“Shut up!” snapped the boy. “Don’t give ’em a note! They ain’t worth it!”
He took the road towards home with long strides.
Up the hill rolled an open motor car. A woman and a little girl were on the back seat. As they whirled by, Blue recognized Daphne Fleming; but he made no sign.
“Oh, there is Blue Stickney!” exclaimed the child in sudden excitement. “And he has the sweet bird!” She rose to look back. “Simon, Simon! stop! quick!”
But by the time the order had been obeyed the boy was far behind.
“We will go back!” was the authoritative decision, and accordingly, a moment after, Blue was surprised to see the big car draw up to the sidewalk just ahead.
He lifted his cap in response to Daphne’s smile.
“How do you do?” asked the little one. “And how is the beautiful Caruso? I wish you would go home with me, and let him sing for my mother and sister. Will you?”
“That’s what I came for,” Blue admitted. “I thought—that is, Doodles thought—p’raps she’d like to hear him; but the girl said she couldn’t see anybody, and you were out, and so—I didn’t stay,” he ended lamely.
“Then you will come?” She opened the door.
“He can sit with Simon,” suggested the attendant.
“There is plenty of room here,” asserted Daphne, moving aside with a cordial smile.
The boy stepped lightly in, and Simon reached back and shut the door.
Presently the ride was at an end, and Blue was following his young hostess into the wide hall, and passing the maid with head held high. Then he was seated in a small, luxurious room where parti─colored shadows played over the floor. The flickering lights seemed to inspire Caruso to a song, for he broke the stillness with a few startling notes. The boy hushed him at once, whereupon he retreated to the farther end of his perch, mopish as a reproved child.
Light feet came running along the hall, and Daphne appeared.
“Will you come upstairs? Mother is not at home, but Eudora would like to hear the bird. Wasn’t he singing a minute ago?”
“Yes,” nodded Blue. “I shut him up as quick as I could,” he added apologetically.