Indeed, you sometimes resembled a boojum. Anyhow,
you were a plain chump. You exploded your face about
something of which you knew nothing, and I'm damned if I
believe you'd make even a good retriever."
"You're a half-bred water-spaniel," blurted Peter Tounley.
"And," he added, musingly, "that is a pretty low animal."
Coke was argumentative. "Why am I? " he asked, turning his
head from side to side. " I don't see where I was so wrong."
" Oh, dances, balloons, picnics, parades and ascensions,"
they retorted, profanely. " You swam voluntarily into water that
was too deep for you. Swim out. Get dry. Here's a towel."
Coke, smitten in the face with a wet cloth rolled into a ball,
grabbed it and flung it futilely at a well-dodging
companion " No," he cried, " I don't see it. Now look here. I
don't see why we shouldn't all resent this Nora Black
business."
One student said: "Well, what's the matter with Nora B lack,
anyhow ?"
Another student said "I don't see how you've been issued
any license to say things about Nora Black."
Another student said dubiously: " Well, he knows her well."
And then three or four spoke at once. " He was very badly
rattled when she appeared upon the scene."
Peter Tounley asked: "Well, which of you people know
anything wrong about Nora Black? "
There was a pause, and then Coke said: " Oh, of course-I
don't know-but-"
He who was called Billie then addressed his com- panions.
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