“Can’t we keep it here for a day or two, mother?” begged Billy.
“Not if the flies assemble for a picnic,” retorted she.
“It’s too bad Uncle Tom and Aunt Edith are not at Rosemary yet—he would just love to see this natural history thing. He’s always so enthusiastic about curiosities and all such sort of stuff,” added Elizabeth, gazing at the mola regretfully.
“Well that’s what they miss for not coming to Maine before the first of July,” declared Billy.
“I nearly missed it too, didn’t I?” said Paul, deeply grateful that he hadn’t. “If I’d waited as Hilda wanted me to, just to spend the Fourth with her, I wouldn’t have been here yet, would I?”
The others laughed at such evidence, and Paul added: “Well, I sure am glad I’m here!”
“So’m I,” declared Dudley. “And I’m goin’ to stay, too!”
Again every one laughed at the positiveness of the two young visitors who were Billy’s chums at school, and Paul turned to inquire of his hostess:
“How long do you s’pose we can stay here with you?”
“Just as long as you behave and are not much care or trouble. But it also depends somewhat on what your parents say,” replied the lady of the island.