Billy, drawing a long breath, said:
“You’ve certainly done a lot of thinking, Mr. Murphy.”
“I thank you, William,” said Thomas Murphy, “for a-seem’ and a-sayin’ that I’ve been a-thinkin’.”
Tom had set Billy to thinking, too. By night there were several things that Billy wanted to know.
It was so hot that Aunt Mary surprised them by setting the table out in the hall. There wasn’t room for them to sit at the table, so she handed them the things out on the steps.
“That was a good idea, Mary,” said Uncle John, when they were through. “I’m glad that you worked that out.”
Billy, looking up into her face, said:
“It was real nice, Aunt Mary.”
Aunt Mary smiled. Billy, watching her, thought that her smile had moved just a little further out on her face. So he said again:
“It was real nice, Aunt Mary.”