"I think I could, sir," said Morton demurely, dropping his lids, not to show too strongly the joy in his eyes, for if he had been hungry in the morning, he was ravenous now.
"All right, then; good-by, my little friend—or, rather, au revoir. I'll see you in the morning," and the two separated, mutually pleased with each other.
A few minutes later Morton entered the home kitchen, joy beaming from his countenance, and a large basket hanging from his arm.
"Sara," he cried, "have you been to dinner?"
"No, we waited for you; but how late you are. It's after two."
"All the better, for here's a dinner to match the biggest kind of an appetite! See here, and here!"
He spread out with intense satisfaction sandwiches, fried chicken, cakes, doughnuts, and cheese, besides jellies and fruit, while Molly fairly howled with delight, and even Sara's eyes shone happily; for, unless you have lived for a week on salt herring and potatoes, topped off by a long fast since breakfast, you cannot understand how good those things looked to the hungry children.
"But, Morton, you didn't tell Mrs. Norris, did you?" Sara asked in a distressed tone. "I didn't want"—
"Now, don't you worry, Sara! I sold her the goose, and got my money— here it is; but this is another kind of game, and while we're eating, I'll tell you the whole story," which he at once proceeded to do, for, hungry as they were, they all fell to with scant ceremony.
The next morning the blond lady, being bereft of both escorts, started out for a stroll on her own account.