I hope we shall."
Five minutes later the girls were standing outside the door of the
Raynes' very humble dwelling. It was opened by Florrie Raynes herself.
"Hullo, Carrie, what do you want now?" she cried. "Oh, and _Miss_
Lewis," with a mocking emphasis on the word "Miss." "To what do we owe
the honor of this visit?"
"I want to see your brother," said Elma brusquely. "He has got some
money of mine, which I must ask him to have the goodness to return at
once."
"Money?" said Florrie, opening her eyes rather wide. "Well, you can see
him for yourselves; but if it's money that is lent to Sam, I--I rather
pity the girl who wants to get it back from him again. Sam is a very
whale on money. He always swallows it wholesale."
With these anything but encouraging words, Florrie threw open the door
of the shabby little smoking-room, where Sam, with a pipe in his mouth,
was lying at his ease. He started up when he saw the girls, removed his
pipe, and going up to Carrie, laid his hand familiarly on her shoulder.
"Well, Car, so you could not do without me," he said with a smile.
"The fact is this," answered Elma, "my sister has told me that she gave
you seven pounds a couple of nights ago to keep for her. That money
happens to have been lent to me, and I want it back immediately.
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