And suddenly Bobbie
got between the others and the stranger, for she had seen that he
was crying.
By a most unusual piece of good fortune she had a handkerchief in
her pocket. By a still more uncommon accident the handkerchief was
moderately clean. Standing in front of the stranger, she got out
the handkerchief and passed it to him so that the others did not
see.
"Wait till Mother comes," Phyllis was saying; "she does speak French
beautifully. You'd just love to hear her."
"I'm sure he hasn't done anything like you're sent to prison for,"
said Peter.
"Looks like without visible means to me," said the Station Master.
"Well, I don't mind giving him the benefit of the doubt till your
Mamma comes. I SHOULD like to know what nation's got the credit of
HIM, that I should."
Then Peter had an idea. He pulled an envelope out of his pocket,
and showed that it was half full of foreign stamps.
"Look here," he said, "let's show him these--"
Bobbie looked and saw that the stranger had dried his eyes with her
handkerchief. So she said: "All right."
They showed him an Italian stamp, and pointed from him to it and
back again, and made signs of question with their eyebrows.
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