The dog seemed impressed; for he moved away from the coveted treasure. But he eyed Desirée so sadly that she relented. Opening the box she searched till she found a chocolate wafer and tossed it to Rex. He caught it in mid-air. Caleb absent mindedly helped himself to a piece of candy from the open box.
“There was a young man so benighted,” she admonished Conover,
“He never knew when he was slighted.
He’d go to a party
And eat just as hearty
As if he’d been really invited.
“And the moral of this is:—Wait till people say ‘Please have some’ before you dip in. Where are your manners, Caleb? Now, what are you looking at?”
“Say, but you’re pretty, to-day!” remarked Conover, his glance roving appraisingly over her trim figure in its roughing costume, and at the tanned, eager little face, “As pretty’s you can be.”
“I suppose everyone is,” laughed Desirée, in embarrassment; noting Mrs. Hawarden’s air of seeming not to have heard the bald praise, “Oh, see the beautiful green caterpillar that’s come to our party! And a whole army of nice hungry ants! There’s a spider, too. Do drive him off, Jack! Don’t kill him, though. It’s bad luck. For the spider, anyway.”
“Avaunt, dread monster of the wilderness!” declaimed Jack; brushing the offender away.