“All but cherries,” explained Ted. “He’s got bushels of them!”
“I wish we had,” said Maude. “I love cherries.”
Once more the Curlytops drove on down the road. It was not late yet, and Ted wanted to see if he could not earn more money. They passed several houses, some where there were children, but none of them had any money to pay for rides. At one place, though, where a little boy was playing with a nurse maid in the front yard they were called to by the boy’s mother, who engaged Ted to drive the little fellow up and down, with the nurse to hold him, and when the ride was over, at which the little boy cried, the lady gave Janet fifty cents.
“Oh, but it isn’t worth that much—not such a short ride,” Janet said.
“I’m giving the money to the Home,” said the lady softly. “I had another little boy—once. I haven’t him now,” and she took up the small lad whom the nurse was holding and pressed him closely in her arms.
“Whew! what a lot of money we have!” cried Ted, as he turned Nicknack toward Cherry Farm a little later. “Seventy-five cents! You’d better tie it in your handkerchief, Jan, and then tie the handkerchief on your neck so you won’t lose it.”
“Can’t tie my handkerchief on my neck. It’s too little. But I’ll put it in my pocket—it’ll be all right there;” and this she did.
They were now on the road that led through the woods, and they were talking so earnestly about how surprised those at home would be over the seventy-five cents, and Trouble was singing his Mother Goose song so loudly, that none of them—especially Jan and Ted—noticed when Nicknack left the main road and turned into a side path that led beneath the trees.
It was not until the wagon got clear off even the side path and nearly upset, because the goat pulled it over a big tree root, that Ted called: “Whoa!” and looked about him.
“Why! Why!” he exclaimed. “Where are we?”