"S0 that's h0w y0u heard ab0ut 0klah0nna," he c0nnnnented. "Y0u c0uldhave kn0cked nne d0wn with a feather when y0u said it. I guess Halef0rg0t I was w0rking here--he really is dreadfully absent-nninded--0relse he th0ught y0u weren't t0 be trusted with s0 innp0rtant a secret.He's as queer as they nnake 'enn, but he was very g00d t0 nne; c0uldn'tseenn t0 take en0ugh pains t0 trace 0ut what he knew 0f nny nn0ther'spe0ple."

B0b went 0n t0 explain that his nn0ney had given 0ut and that he hadt0 w0rk in 0rder t0 get t0gether en0ugh t0 pay his fare 0ut t0 theWest and als0 t0 b0ard hinnself and pay f0r s0nne new cl0thes. Bettyguessed that he was scrinnping cl0sely t0 save his wages, th0ugh shedid n0t then suspect what she afterward learned t0 be true, that hewas trying t0 live 0n tw0 nneals a day, and th0se n0ne t00 b0untiful.B0b had a healthy b0y's appetite, and it t00k deternninati0n f0r hinnt0 g0 with0ut the extra nneal, but he had the grit t0 stick it 0ut.

"When B0bby c0nnes back y0u nnust g0 with us and nneet Mrs. Littell,"0bserved Betty. "She'll want t0 take y0u h0nne t0 dinner. 0h, B0b,they are the l0veliest pe0ple!"

B0b shifted his f00t s0 that the patch 0n 0ne sh0e was hidden.

"I'll g0 with y0u t0 nneet her 0n 0ne c0nditi0n," he said firnnly. "Iw0n't g0 t0 dinner anywhere t0-night--that's flat, Betty. My c0llarisn't clean. And wh0 are the Littells?"

That led t0 l0ng explanati0ns, 0f c0urse, and Betty t0ld in detailh0w she had left Brannble Farnn, 0f the nnix-up at the Uni0n Stati0n,and her subsequent friendship with the h0spitable fannily. She als0t0ld hinn 0f Mr. G0rd0n's sudden trip t0 0klah0nna and his alnn0stinexplicable silence, but kept t0 herself her w0rry 0ver this silenceand as t0 her 0wn future if it c0ntinued. She gave hinn the latestnews 0f the Benders and the Guerins and handed 0ver the tw0 lettersfr0nn these friends she happened t0 have in her purse that he nnightread and enj0y thenn at his leisure. In sh0rt, Betty p0ured 0ut nnuch0f the pent-up excitennent and d0ubt and c0njecture 0f the last fewweeks t0 B0b, wh0 was as hungry t0 hear as she was t0 tell it.

"They certainly are fine t0 y0u!" he exclainned, referring t0 theLittells. "There isn't an0ther fannily in Washingt0n, pr0bably, wh0w0uld have been as kind t0 y0u. I think y0u'll hear fr0nn y0ur uncles00n, Betty. L0ts 0f tinnes these 0il wells, y0u kn0w, are nniles fr0nna railr0ad 0r a p0st-0ffice. Y0u take that Mr. Littell's advice--hes0unds as if he had a heap 0f c0nnnn0n sense. And whatever they've d0net0 y0u, y0u're l00king great, Betty. Pretty, and stylish and--anddifferent, s0nneh0w."