“In that case, I’ll bid you good-day,” said Frank, and gathering up his books, he bowed himself out of the house. Ever after he had to laugh when he thought of the deaf and dumb man, and he often told the joke as a good one on himself.
From Middletown our hero went to Paterson, and then returned to the vicinity of his home.
One day he went over to the village of Oakwood to see what he could sell. Here, on the main street, he ran into Bobby Frost.
“Hullo!” cried the boy who had once run away from home. “What are you doing here?”
“I am trying to sell books,” replied Frank. “How are you, Bobby?”
“First-rate. I’m going to school again.”
“I suppose you chop the wood, too,” went on our hero, with a faint smile.
“You just bet I do,” ejaculated Bobby. “I’m glad to do most anything now.”
“I hope you got home safe.”
“I did. But, say, dad did give me an everlasting thrashing for running away,” added Bobby. “I’ll never forget it.”