"Teddy," interrupted Bess, "if you say 'dandy' again, I'll take your candy away from you. I'll tell you, boys, let's form an anti-slang society; I really think you use too much for the parlor. It is well enough if you must have a little on the ball-field, but I don't like it in the house, so much of it."
"But, Miss Bess," urged Phil, "if we use it in our games we can't stop, and the first we know it just comes out, whatever we are doing."
"Then drop it entirely, if it must be so. You boys don't want to hear me say, 'I'll bet,' and 'dandy,' and 'bully,' now do you?"
"I hain't never used any of them words," said Sam, raising his head with a proud consciousness of innocence.
Ted and Phil glanced at each other, and Rob's eyes looked wicked, but he never moved a muscle.
It was Bert who came to the rescue.
"What a shame Fred couldn't be here, Miss Bess! We fellows miss him awfully."
"I'll tell him you said so, Bert. He will be glad enough to know it, for he has such a dread of his old place getting filled, as time goes on."
"Why didn't he come?" asked Phil, turning his corn-ball from side to side, to see where to take the next bite.
"I knew it would be no use to ask him," Bess replied. "I think you boys would be so good for him, but he dreads to see you."