"Oh, I just came for pleasure. Remember, I'm in a stuffy warehouse six days in the week."
"Well, ain't I in school an' chopping wood an' bringing water and hoeing weeds and busy enough, I can tell you. I'd like to be down there among the boats. An' I'm tired. I've been hunting these woods all over for you."
"Several squirrels found us and some birds came and sung to us. Well, let us sit down again. Poor tired Ben!"
Her tone was very sweet with no mockery in it. Ben dropped at the foot of a tree and stretched himself out. What a big boy he was getting to be!
Ruth sat down near him, I on the other side. She delicately pushed the hair from his warm forehead and smiled in his eyes.
"Did you swing all that little crew?" she asked.
"Yes, and twice as many more. I think there are four hundred children on this picnic."
"Half of the children in Chicago. How do you suppose we found enough for them to eat?"
Ben laughed with restored good nature. He was never cross long at a time.
Then they began to relate the funny mishaps, and we did not lack for merriment. Ruth had so many shrewd comparisons. But a group of children found us out.