“It’s not so many when you think of all there are left on the trees. It’s rubbish about Huldah’s having to save ’em. I know better ’n that. She just said that to make us uncomfortable, the mean thing.”
“Well, it was a lot, anyhow, and I think we ought to give ’em back.”
“Give ’em back! How could we? What do you mean?”
Christopher tumbled out of bed, his curiosity roused and coming in, huddled himself up on the foot of Jane’s cot.
“Why, don’t you think that your ’lowance an’ mine together ’d buy half a bushel of apples?” asked Jane eagerly, quite carried away by her heroic resolve.
“But I want my ’lowance to buy lemonade and peanuts with at the circus.”
“But maybe we can’t go to the circus.”
“Yes, we can. Grandfather promised.”
“No, he didn’t promise. He said ‘I’ll see.’ And now I guess he’ll keep us home, ’less we do something to show him we’re sorry. If we buy half a bushel of apples and give ’em to him in place of all those we ate, why, don’t you see? Maybe he’ll think that, and the stomach ache we’ve had, ’ll be punishment enough, without giving up the circus.”
“The stomach ache was enough punishment for me. I promised him I’d never eat any more green apples, and I won’t. But I want money to spend for lemonade at the circus.”