"Well, I don't suppose he'd ever be real thin, and if he is going to be fat, he thinks he'd better be fatter than any one else," Polly said. "Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well, Mrs. Pepper says."
The others laughed and Ward asked anxiously if they thought he would ever be an exhibit.
"You'd better be careful," said Jess.
"And whatever you do," added Fred, "stop when you have had two helpings of dessert. It is the third time that will put you in the freak class, Ward."
"Mother hardly ever lets me have even two helpings," Ward murmured. He would take Fred's teasing seriously nearly every time.
There were a few more sights, not many, for the carnival was a small one, and when they had been into every tent they went back to the benches where the three mothers were waiting.
"We thought we wouldn't have ice cream till you came," said Mrs. Marley, "but we are glad we don't have to wait any longer. Who knows where we can find something cool to eat and drink?"
The children had passed a refreshment pavilion and they led the way back to this. Here they had ice cream and rice waffles, and then it was time to think of starting for home.
As they were standing at the side of the road, waiting for the bus, Joe Anderson and Albert Holmes came up the road. They had walked from the bungalow colony and they looked warm and dusty.
"We've seen everything," Artie told them as soon as the two boys were within hearing distance. "Margy found a diamond ring and we had passes and saw everything free."