Alene looked horrified.
"You see, Mr. Dawson allows us to come in and take all we want," explained Laura hurriedly, while a shrill voice from the wall cried:
"We weren't stealing!"
"I never thought that!"
"Well, she looked as if she did," commented Ivy.
"I looked surprised because—well—to think you would eat such green apples."
This statement brought forth a ripple of amusement from the two critics and Alene with reddened cheeks turned to the girl at her side.
"Well, they are dangerous, aren't they?"
"Don't mind those kids, they giggle at 'most anything. You see we are used to eating them and they are not injurious if you eat 'em with salt," explained Laura, though not very clearly.
"She's to take the kids and the apples with a little salt!" cried Ivy.