When Hanny went up-stairs with her mother the boys went also.
"Say, Ben," and his brother gave him a dig in the ribs with his elbow; "say, Ben, don't you want to go back to New York with mother? If we just push with all our might and main, together we can."
"Well, don't push me through the side of the house."
"You want to be pushed all the while. You're as slow as 'lasses in winter time. Ben, you take after Uncle Faid. It takes him 'most all day to make up his mind. Now I can look at a thing and tell in a minute."
"You seem ready enough to tell." Ben laughed a little provokingly.
"Well, you can go or not as you like. 'Taint half the fun here that it used to be. I didn't think I cared so much for Hanny."
"Is it Hanny?" in a tone that irritated.
"It's Hanny and mother and John and father and New York, and just a million things rolled into a bundle. And if you don't care I'll fight my way through. There, Benjamin Franklin! You'd sit on a stone in the middle of a field and fly your kite forever!"
Jim was losing his temper.
"Yes, I think I'd like to go. There would be so much to see and learn."