“Aint he funny?” asked Wort.
“Funny?” replied Aunt Stanshy, who did not intend that any one else should depreciate her idol. “Funny? of course not.”
All this time Will was chasing Sid, who was heading up the lane and was about entering Water Street. Sid was in a hurry, and unaware that he was wanted by any one in the lane, had broken into a run; but Will had run to so many fires that he was equal to this emergency and overtook Sid, laying a hand on his shoulder.
“What do you want?” asked Sid. “I want to catch that man ahead there and borrow his clam-digger.”
“Come back to the house with me a little while.”
Any of the club boys would do any thing for Will, and Sid turned.
“Good-morning, Mr. Somers.”
Will turned his head, so covered with wilfully curly hair. In his hand were the bread and cheese still. He blushed as he said, “Good-morning, Miss Barry.”
“Whew,” he said to himself, “the teacher has caught me now!”
Several people indeed “caught” Will Somers, in that way, that morning, and wondered what he was doing, running bare-headed. He carried his point, though, captured Sid, and led him back to the house.