Master Green should have acknowledged that he was unable to answer this question, but it seemed hardly the proper thing for him to confess his ignorance, and he replied gravely:—
“I reckon some of ’em’s wax, an’ some of ’em ain’t. I’m pretty certain that feller what’s goin’ to have his head cut off is a reg’lar man stuffed. I s’pose they glued him together after the choppin’ was over.”
This made the scene of the guillotine more realistic, and the little party paused in front of the terrible picture until Mr. Shindle said with a sigh:—
“It’s no use, boys, I’ve got enough of this sort of thing, even if it did cost half a dollar apiece. I reckon we’d better go out on the street where we can see somethin’ more lively. If there’s any chance ’round here to get a bite to eat, I wouldn’t mind payin’ for a cup of coffee an’ a fried cake.”
“There’s lots of places like that,” Bob said quickly; for the idea of having a lunch at an uptown restaurant was even more entrancing than anything to be found in the museum.
Ten minutes later the four were seated at a marble-topped table, which Mr. Shindle thought out of place in such an establishment, since, as he said, “wood would have done jest as well so long as it was made strong enough to hold the feed, an’ wouldn’t have come nearly so expensive.”
Josiah’s father generously allowed his guests to order what they wished, and this was done without reference to the bill of fare.
A thoroughly enjoyable lunch it was until the check had been brought, and then the amount caused even more consternation than had the one at Coney Island among the chowder-eaters.
The farmer looked at it a moment in eloquent silence, and then said, as he plunged his hand with a certain deliberation into his pocket:—
“I reckon it’s jest as well for me that I don’t come to the city very often, ’cordin’ to the price we’re gettin’ for potatoes now. I don’t groan over payin’ two dollars to go into a show like the one we jest come out of; but when they can figger up a dollar and seventy-five cents for two or three mouthfuls such as we’ve had, it strikes me we’re goin’ it pretty strong, eh, Josiah?”