"Goodness!" he said: "here are the children with the butter. How did they ever get up here so early?" And he ran down to open the door.
"Ask them to stay to breakfast," said Mrs. Clapp. "The poor little things must be faint."
Nelly and Rob thanked Mr. Clapp, but said they could not stop.
"We had a splendid breakfast at home," said Rob, triumphantly.
When Mr. Clapp went back to his room, he said to his wife:—
"Poor little things, indeed! You wouldn't have called them so, if you'd seen them. Their eyes shone like diamonds, and their cheeks were just like roses; and they looked as full of frolic as kittens. I declare I do envy March those children. That Nelly's going to make a most beautiful woman."
Rob and Nelly reached Mr. Kleesman's door at eight o'clock. His curtains were down; no sign of life about the place.
"I say, Nell, aren't the Rosita people lazy!" exclaimed Rob. "What'll we do now?"
"Sit down here on the step and wait," said Nelly. "He always comes out here, the first thing, and looks off down into the valley, and at the mountains. I used to see him when we were at the hotel."
How long it seemed before they heard steps inside the house; and then how much longer still before the door opened! When Mr. Kleesman saw the little figures sitting on his door-step he started.