"I gave him a dollar," she replied sadly. "It is easy to tell how it will be spent."
Grit had no time to inquire further at that time, for he was assisting his mother in necessary attentions to their guests, having hurriedly exchanged his own wet clothes for dry ones.
Mr. Jackson seemed very grateful to Mrs. Morris for her attention to Willie. She found an old suit of Grit's, worn by him at the age of eight, and dressed Willie in it, while his own wet suit was being dried. The little boy presented a comical spectacle, the suit being three or four sizes too large for him.
"I don't like it," he said. "It is too big."
"So it is, Willie," said his father; "but you won't have to wear it long. You would catch your death of cold if you wore your wet clothes. How long will it take to dry his clothes, Mrs. Morris?"
"Two or three hours at least," answered the widow.
"I have a great mind to go back to Portville, and get a change of garments," said the father.
"That would be the best thing, probably."
"But I should have to burden you with Willie; for I should need to take Grit with me to ferry me across."