“Start right in on that woodpile first.”
At this Dick could not hold in, and he began to laugh heartily.
The laugh evidently surprised Aunt Abbie, for she threw the door wide open and peered out over the tops of her glasses. When she recognized the “tramp,” she too began to laugh, and said:
“Come in, you young scalawag. Just for what you did I’ve a good notion to make you earn your dinner anyway.”
“Glad to help out a bit even for nothing,” promptly offered the fat boy.
“Well, seeing you’re so willing, we’ll let you off this time. I dunno what I can give you to eat. Fire’s gone down, and all I’ve got is some fresh tomatoes and some salad dressing and cucumbers and pie and doughnuts, and some cold milk out of the ice box, and——”
“Hold on, Aunt Abbie,” interrupted Dick. “There’s only one person here. I haven’t got a half a dozen people with me.”
“Why, what difference does that make?” inquired the old lady, somewhat tartly.
“Well, you’ve named over enough things to feed a regiment with.”
“Good land, don’t you suppose I know just what a growing boy can eat? Goodness knows I ought to. I raised four sons myself, all of them in the city and all doin’ well too.”