"Was there ever such a boy!" grumbled the man; but, nevertheless, he arose and got the black horse ready for them, hooking the animal to a small cutter.
"Remember, if the captain learns of this, I don't know nothing about it…," he called out, as the two boys drove off by a back way, out of sight of the main building of the institution.
"Peleg is all right, if you know how to handle him," said Tom, as he took the reins from Dick.
"I'll let him out a bit, and we'll drive to Cedarville in a jiffy."
"Tom, you're getting more cheeky every day," was Dick's comment, yet he was far from displeased over what his brother had accomplished.
Away went the cutter, the roads being now in an excellent condition. Soon Putnam Hall was left far behind, and they came within sight of the Stanhope homestead.
"I'd like to stop for just a minute," said Dick, but Tom shook his head.
"We want to get to Cedarville before the shops close," said the
younger brother.
"We can stop on the way back—if we have time," and they
continued on their way.
Both knew Cedarville "like a book," as Tom expressed it, having been there so many times before. They drove straight to the largest confectionery in the village.
"A pound of chocolates, a pound of marshmallows, a pound of iced fruits, and five pounds of best mixed candies," said Dick, and the articles were quickly put up for him.