"But you want to go and sit with the dog," she said, as they laughed
over it; for Philip was standing, silent and reproachful, till John
should do his duty by the beloved animal.
"I don't want to a bit," said John frankly, "but I suppose my
reputation with Foxy demands it."
He rose reluctantly, quoting from the "Bab Ballads":
"_My own convenience counts as_ nil:
_It is my duty, and I will!_"
"Come out on the rear platform," said Phyllis, joining Joy as she
stared after the tall figure and the little one passing out of the
car. "It's the only cool spot. I suppose in the smoking car, where
Allan is, the windows are open, but this place is too hot to live
in. I wonder if there's any blue-law that forbids opening chair-car
windows. I always forget to tell Allan to get day-coach tickets on
this line, and it never occurs to him to do anything but perish in
the parlor-cars, having been brought up in the lap of luxury. So we
suffer on."
Phyllis laughed as she led the way out to the little platform, and
held to the rail with one hand, letting the wind sweep past her. She
looked like anything but suffering.
"Oh, isn't it one of the loveliest days that ever was!" she
breathed, turning to Joy.
"It's one of the loveliest times that ever was," Joy responded
impulsively. "Oh, Phyllis, I'm so glad I met you!"
"Glad you met John, dear child," Phyllis corrected. "So am I. Glad
_I_ met _you_, I mean, and particularly glad John did.
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