"If yours had been the task to 'tote' it this far, you would have thought there was more than that in it," he answered.
"Well, ours will be the task to help 'tote' it back," said Dee in tones muffled by cream cheese.
The crowning wonder of the repast was some great thermos bottles that finally emerged from the bottom of the capacious basket. One was filled with hot coffee and the other with hot chocolate, and lying snugly by them was a jar of whipped cream.
"Well, by the great jumping jingo, what next?" said Shorty. And then funny Mary Flannigan used her ventriloquist's powers and made a noise exactly like a puppy trying to get out of something, and Shorty bit. He dived into the basket to the assistance of the imaginary canine!
The coffee and chocolate were smoking hot, in spite of the long journey they had taken. Mr. Tucker had made a clever calculation, also, as to the number of guests, so the drinkables just did go around.
"I thought I heard Miss Binks say she was going to have supper with you," said Harvie Price to Dum.
"Ah, indeed! I fancy she did intend to, but after she made a hole in the ice with poor little Page, I reckon she forgot to wait for her invitation."
We ate up every crumb of that supper and the little birds who hoped to feast on what we left must have had but poor pickings.
"We shan't have to say:
'Bleat, bleat, my little goat, I pray,
And take the table quite away,'" laughed Mr. Tucker. "If I had been twins instead of Tweedles, I'd have brought twice that much."
We had had enough, and much gayety and good-humored repartee had made it a very delightful party. Mr. Anderson proved very agreeable and made himself pleasant to everybody. Miss Cox was happy and full of fun, and even Annie Pore forgot to be shy and actually rolled Shorty in a patch of snow because he stole a piece of chocolate cake, all icing, that she was saving for the last mouthful.