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Page 19
"Oh, I don't know," he replied carelessly. "Say, how did she have her
hair done up?"
"She had rats in it, and it was curled on a hot iron."
"Rats? What in thunder is--or are--that, or they?"
"Little wads of false hair made into cushiony rolls."
"Did she tell you?"
"No," laughed Juliet. "Don't you suppose I can see a rat?"
"I thought rats had to be smelled."
"Not this kind."
"She smelled of something kind of sweet and sticky. What was it?'
"Sachet powder, I guess, or some kind of perfume."
"I liked the smell. Can we get some?"
"I guess so--we've got the price."
"Next time you see her, ask her what it is, will you?"
"All right," answered Juliet, unperturbed by the request.
The rest of the way was enlivened by a discussion of automobiles. Romeo
had a hockey match on for the following day, which was Saturday, so they
were compelled to postpone their investigations until Monday. It seemed
very long to wait.
"It's no good now, anyhow," said Romeo. "We can't run it until the roads
melt and dry up."
"That's so," agreed his twin, despondently. "Why did she tell us now?
Why couldn't she wait until we had some chance?"
"I guess we can learn something about it before we try to run it," he
observed, cheerfully. "If we can get it into the barn, we can take it
all apart and see how it's put together."
"Oh, Romie!" cried Juliet, with a little skip. "How perfectly
fascinating! And we'll read all the automobile literature we can get
hold of. I do so love to be posted!"
Upon the death of their father, several years ago, the twins had
promptly ceased to go to school. The kindly old minister who had been
appointed executor of their father's small estate and guardian of the
tumultuous twins had been unable to present any arguments in favour of
systematic education which appealed to them even slightly.
"What good is Latin?" asked Romeo, apparently athirst for information.
"Why--er--mental discipline, mostly," the harassed guardian had
answered.
"Isn't there anything we'd like that would discipline our minds?"
queried Juliet.
"I fear not," replied the old man, who lacked the diplomacy necessary to
deal with the twins. Shortly after that he had died with so little
warning that he had only time to make out a check in their favour for
the balance entrusted to him. The twins had held high carnival until the
money was almost gone. The bequest from the Australian uncle had reached
them just in time, so, with thankful hearts, they celebrated and had
done so annually ever since.
Untrammelled by convention and restraint, they thrived like weeds in
their ancestral domicile, which was now sadly in need of repair.
Occasionally some daring prank set the neighbourhood by the ears, but,
for the most part, the twins behaved very well and attended strictly to
their own affairs. They ate when they were hungry, slept when they were
sleepy, and, if they desired to sit up until four in the morning,
reading, they did so. A woman who had a key to the back door came in
every morning, at an uncertain hour, to wash the dishes, sweep, dust,
and to make the beds if they chanced to be unoccupied.
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