224
THE PLASTIC AGE
Watch her.” The girl poised for an instant on the edge of the float and then dived gracefully into the water, striking out with a powerful overhand stroke for another float a quarter of a mile out in the Sound. The boys watched her red cap as she rounded the float and started back, swimming easily and expertly. When she reached the beach, she ran out of the water, rubbed her hands over her face, and then strolled over to Norry.
Her hair was concealed by a red bathing-cap, but Hugh guessed that it was brown; at any rate, her eyes were brown and very large. She had an im> pudent little nose and full red lips.
“ ’Lo, Norry,” she said, holding out her hand “How’s the infant?”
“Oh, I’m fine. This is my friend Hugh Carver.’
“I’ve heard about you,” she said as they shool hands. “I only got back last night, but everybod) seems to be digging dirt about Norry’s friend Three of my friends are enemies on account of you and one of ’em says she’s going in swimming some day and forget to come back if you don’t give her ; little more time.”
Hugh blushed, but he had learned a few thing; in the past weeks.
“I wish they would tell me about it,” he said witl a fair assumption of ease. “Why did n’t you com< back sooner?” He was pleased with that speech He would n’t have dared it a month before.
