“Boys, boys!” shouted Mrs. Burton. “Is no one going to be company for me?”
“Oh, I’ll be your gentleman,” said Budge.
“I’ll help,” said Toddie, and both boys hurried to their aunt’s side.
“Little boys,” said Mrs. Burton, gently, “do you know that your mamma and papa have to pay a high price for the fun you have in kicking up dust? Look at your clothes! They must be sent to the cleaner’s before they will ever again be fit to wear where respectable people can see you.”
“Then,” said Budge, “they’re just right to give to poor little boys, and just think how glad they’ll be! I guess they’ll thank the Lord ’cause we run in the dust.”
“The poor little boys would have been just as glad to have them while they were clean,” said Mrs. Burton, “and the kindness would have cost your papa and mamma no more.”
“Well, then—then—then I guess we’d better talk about something else,” said Budge, “an’ go ’long froo the woods instead of in the road. Oh—h—h!” he continued, kicking through some grass under the chestnut-trees by the roadside, “here’s a chestnut! Is it chestnut-time again already?”
“Oh, no, that’s one of last year’s nuts.”
“H’m!” exclaimed Budge; “I ought to have known that. It’s dreadfully old-fashioned.”
“Old-fashioned?”