“I declare it’s some satisfaction to get a meal 188 for you boys,” she declared. “You certainly eat as though you enjoyed it.”
“There’s no camouflage about that, Mother; we do enjoy it,” answered Bob.
“We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t enjoy it, that’s fairly certain,” said Larry. “The meals at the hotel are pretty good, but they’re not in the same class with this lunch at all.”
“I know they have a reputation for setting a good table there,” said Mrs. Layton. “I hope you fare as well in the city. You’ll board there, I suppose, won’t you?”
“Yes, I expect to,” said Larry. “Mr. Allard, the manager, recommended me to a good place near the station, and I guess they won’t let me starve to death there.”
“Let us hope not,” smiled Mrs. Layton. “Any time you are in Clintonia, we’d be very glad to have you visit us, you know. I suppose Bob has told you that, though.”
“I certainly did!” exclaimed her son. “I have a hunch that after eating a while in boarding houses a good home-cooked meal must be a welcome change.”
“I’ll say it is,” assented Larry. “But there are one or two good restaurants fairly near the station, anyway, so in case I get tired of the food at the boarding house, I can switch to a restaurant for a while.” 189
“That sounds like jumping from the frying pan into the fire,” grinned Joe.
“I suppose it is something along that line,” assented Larry, with a rueful laugh. “But what is a poor fellow to do?”