"Oh, what is it?" cried Margie eagerly.
"I'm afraid it's rather silly," apologized Bronson.
"Never mind. Do hurry and show us before Fred comes," urged Grace.
Blushing profusely, Bronson put his hand in his pocket, drew forth a paper bag and handed it to Mrs. Markham.
"Quick! Quick!" breathed the others, clustering around her, eager to see the contents.
"O-oh! it's a candy Teddy Bear!" exclaimed Sallie.
"Fine!" chuckled Buttons. "Here, Mrs. Markham, please let me have that bag. Sandow, you get a match."
Taking the bag, the boy tore out a small piece of paper, hastily wrote on it, "You're all to the candy," thrust the match through the paper, set the Teddy Bear on Fred's plate and then fixed the match in its arms in such a way as to give the effect of a banner.
"But what does that expression mean?" asked Mrs. Markham, to whom the slang was as so much Sanskrit.
"It means Fred's all right," interpreted Sandow. "Now, come away, I hear him."