That was quite enough for Oliver--he tiptoed back and hid in his own closet--wondering mildly how he was going to explain his presence there if a search party opened the door. He heard a chorus of voices calling him from below, first warningly, then impatiently--heard Peter bounce up the stairs and yell “Ollie! Ollie, you slacker!” into his own room--and then finally the last motor slurred away and he was able to creep out of his shell. He met Elinor on the stairs--looking encouragingly droopy, he thought. “Why Ollie, what's the matter? The pack was howling for you all over the house--they've all gone over to the Sharley--look, I'll get you a car--” She went down a couple of steps toward the telephone. Oliver immediately and without much difficulty put on his best expression of blight. “Sorry, El--must have dropped off to sleep,” he said unblushingly. “Lay down on my bed to sort of think some things over--and that's what happens of course. But don't bother--” “It's no trouble. I could take you over myself but I was so sort of fagged out--that's why I didn't go with them,” she added--a little uncertainly he noticed. “And--oh it's just being silly and tired I suppose, but all of them together--” “I know,” said Oliver and hoped his voice had sounded appropriately bitter. “No reflections on you or Peter, El, you both understand and you've both been too nice for words--but some of the others sometimes--” “Oh I'm _sorry_,” said Elinor contritely, and Oliver felt somewhat as if he were swindling her out of sympathy she probably needed for herself by deliberately calling attention to his own cut finger. But it had to be done--there wasn't any sense in both of them, he and Ted, walking crippled when one of them might be able to doctor the other up by just giving up a little pride. He went on. “So I thought--I'd just stay around here with a book or something--get some tea from your mother, later, if she were here--” “Why, I can do that much for you, Ollie, anyway. Let's have it now.” “But look here, if you were going to do anything--” knowing that after that she could hardly say so, even if she were. “Oh no. And besides, with both of us here and both of us blue it would be silly if we went and were melancholy at each other from opposite sides of the house.” She tried to be enthusiastic. “And there's strawberry jam and muffins somewhere--the kind that Peter makes himself such a pig about--” “Well, Elinor, you certainly are a friend--”