"Are you going to school, Tom?" asked Joe Birch.
"Yes."
"What for?"
"Because my father makes me go. I tried to get off this morning. I made believe sick; but father was going to make me take some of his nasty physic, and I thought I'd rather go to school than do that."
"I can tell you how you can stay away from school without taking any physic."
"How?"
"Give me the three cents, and I will tell you."
"I haven't them; if I had I would."
"Well, I will tell you how to get them, if you like."
"How?"