“Heap of good that does us,” grumbled Shorty, “but say,” as he turned to Bert suspiciously, “what sort of thing was that you called us?”
“I said you were pessimists.”
“Well, what does that jawbreaker mean?”
“Why,” said Bert, who could not resist his propensity to tease, “that means that you are not optimists.”
“Worse and worse and more of it,” complained Shorty.
“That’s just as clear as mud,” echoed Jim.
“Well,” said Bert, tantalizingly, “listen my children——”
“‘Listen, my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,’”
chanted Frank, who had recited that identical poem in his elocution class at the last term of school.