"We just want a lunch to take fishing, Meena," said Master Bobby, hopefully.
"You don't vant loonch to fish mit," declared Meena. "You use vor-rms."
Fred giggled. He was always giggling at inopportune times. Meena glared at him with both light blue eyes and reached for the red flannel bandage she always kept warm back of the kitchen range.
"I ban got toothache," she said. "I can't vool mit boys," and she proceeded to tie the long bandage around her jaws and tied it so that the ends—like long ears—stood right up on top of her head.
"But you can give us just a little," begged Bobby. "We won't be back till supper time."
This seemed to offer some comfort to the hard-working girl, and she mumbled an agreement, while she shuffled into the pantry to get the lunch ready. She did not speak English very well at any time, and when her face was tied up, it was almost impossible to understand her.
Sometimes, if Meena became offended, she would insist upon waiting on table with this same red bandage about her jaws—even if the family had company to dinner! But in many ways she was invaluable to Mrs. Blake, so the good lady bore Meena's eccentricities.
By and by the Swedish girl appeared with a box of luncheon. The boys dared not peek into it while they were under her eye, but they thanked her and ran out of the house. Fred was giggling again.
"She looks just like a rabbit—all ears—with that thing tied around her head," he said.
"Whoever heard of a rabbit with red ears?" scoffed Bobby.