Hardie laughed and shook his head.
Then Wilmot started on a new course, and pleaded for a few out of the new box.
“You’ve got a whole boxful, and I’ve only one left,” he urged. “Go halves, and I won’t call you a hog any more.”
But Hardie was still obdurate. “Children shouldn’t have matches,” he said.
Wilmot turned away in disgust. “You’re worse than a hog, you’re a whole drove of swine! I wouldn’t look over the edge of the sty at you!”
The next morning Roger relented. He didn’t feel at all sure that Wilmot was to be trusted with tools of such potential power for disturbance; but like all right-minded boys, he hated to be considered stingy. He hunted up Wilmot as soon as he reached school the next morning and reopened the case.
“Do you still want those things, Steve?” he asked.
“Sure I do,” answered Wilmot, promptly. “I think you might at least tell me where you got ’em.”
“Well, you can have my box. Only you must be careful with them.”
Wilmot pocketed the box with alacrity. “I’ll be careful, all right. You don’t suppose I’d set the building on fire, do you?”