Clare’s next day went much as the preceding, only that he was early at the shop. When his dinner-hour came, he ran home, and was glad to find Tommy and the dog mildly agreeable to each other. He had but time to give baby some milk, and Tommy and Abdiel a bit of bread each.
His look when he returned, a look of which he was unaware, but which one of the girls, who had a year ago been hungry for weeks together, could read, made her ask him what he had had for dinner. He said he had had no dinner.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because there wasn’t any.”
“Didn’t your mother keep some for you?”
“No; she couldn’t.”
“Then what will you do?”
“Go without,” answered Clare with a smile.
“But you’ve got a mother?” said the girl, rendered doubtful by his smile.
“Oh, yes! I’ve got two mothers. But their arms ain’t long enough,” replied Clare.