“What’s that, Edward?” Bobby asked a fat little boy who had dashed to the basement door and came back lugging something yellow and round. “What’s that for?”
Edward Kurler was in Meg’s class. He was a good-natured, not particularly quick child, and very ready to do whatever anyone else suggested. When he played “tag” with the other boys, Edward was apt to be “it” the greater part of the game; but he was so good-natured he never was known to be cross about it.
“I brought a pumpkin,” he explained, his own face as round and shiny as the pumpkin he carried. “I didn’t have time to bring it in ’fore school opened. I guess the poor folks will like a pumpkin—they can make pies out of it.”
Tim Roon came up to the pumpkin and looked at it closely.
“Why, it’s a jack-o-lantern!” he said in surprise.
“Yes, it is,” nodded Edward. “I had it left over from Hallowe’en. My uncle made it for me.”
“But you haven’t any candle in it,” said Tim. “I never heard of a pumpkin lantern without a candle, did you, Charlie?”
Charlie Black was Tim Roon’s chum and the two boys usually helped each other when they planned any mischief.
“No, I never heard of a pumpkin without a candle,” said Charlie seriously. “And I don’t think you ought to give one away ’less you have a candle for it, Edward.”
Bobby and Meg leaned up against the table and stared at Edward anxiously. They knew a candle should go inside a pumpkin lantern, too. The other pupils began to think Edward had made a mistake and that his thank-offering had something very wrong with it. Edward felt that way himself.