“You’ll lend it, won’t you?” pleaded Betsey.
“It makes a good deal of difference what it’s wanted for,” replied Tom, with his hands in his pockets.
“Well, the Delights are going to have a picnic, and they go to a certain grove, like Brighton’s Lake, you know, where they have canoes to rent. And I have everything but the canoe, Tom.”
“Everything?” questioned Tom. “Have you a Thermos bottle?”
“Hum!” said Cousin Margaret loudly. “I’ll make the Thermos bottles for you,—one quart size, and one pint. I’d love to!”
“How are you going to make them, Cousin Margaret?” asked Tom respectfully.
“If you children will come down street with me, and show me the nearest gum machine,—the kind where the gum is done up in silver paper, you know,—I’ll let you watch me!” bargained Cousin Margaret, determined now to make a perfectly wonderful article.
“What does she want gum for?” giggled Betsey, scurrying down-stairs behind Tom.
“She wants the silver paper,” said Tom wisely.
And that was exactly what she did want at the time, but when the happy trio stood before the red machine in the grocery store, and the thin stick of gum came shooting out into Cousin Margaret’s hands, she had another idea.