He was aware of my love of a romance.
"There was a little old woman in a red cloak with a red pepper in her mouth," I answered, peeping up in his face with wide, truthful eyes.
"Mother Hubbard!" my father cried, clapping his hands like a boy. "Mother Hubbard! But where was her dog?"
"Her dog was behind, and he had a red pepper in his mouth," I added, hastily.
"I wonder what they were going to do with them," my father said, luring me on.
"Don't you know, father?" I cried, delighted.
"No, I can't think."
"Pies! She was going to make pies out of them! Pretty red pepper pies!"
"Sure enough!" my father said, much surprised. "I never thought of that. How I wish that I'd been along!"