In justice to him I must say that he had no more appetite than is usual to a hearty, growing boy, but Mr. and Mrs. Middleton stinted themselves out of regard to economy, and to them he seemed to eat enough for six.
CHAPTER III
TOM’S FIRST BATTLE.
AFTER supper Tom took a walk. He wanted to know something about his future home. Thus far his impressions had not been altogether agreeable.
“If the Middleton’s are a fair specimen of the people of Plympton, it’s a good place to emigrate from,” he thought. “However, I’ll stay a while and see what turns up.”
Plympton was a village of moderate size. It probably contained about fifteen hundred inhabitants, beside the occupants of outlying farms, for the town was largely agricultural. Those who met our hero surveyed him with attention, for in a small country town all are acquainted, and a stranger is at once recognized as such. One old lady, Mrs. Prudence Peabody, was not content with staring at our hero. She stopped short and addressed him.
“Do you live in Plympton, young man?”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Tom. “Do you?”
“I’ve lived here ever since I was a gal.”