“Fine! And I’m hungry. Hope they have some more of that good chicken we had here the other day.”
“They have; I ordered it. That’s why we have to wait. This is a special repast we’re getting. Broiled chicken, French fries and all the selicacies of the deason. What ho for the banquet hall!”
Well, Ned was right. This was more fun than dining in state at Sound View with a butler and an under butler mousing around behind your chair all the time. Even Dan agreed to that. And how he did eat! And how they all ate! Each one of them sent back for “that other half chicken, Mary, and a few more of the excellentissimo potatoes.”
“How do you know her name is Mary?” asked Gerald.
“All waitresses are named Mary,” answered Ned gravely. “Sometimes they try to make you believe that their names are Gwendolyn or Hortense, but that’s just a fake.”
“Bet you this one isn’t named Mary,” said Dan.
“Bet you she is! Wait until she comes back.”
And when fresh supplies had been served, and a new plate of steaming hot biscuits had been passed, Ned said: “These gentlemen don’t believe that your name is Mary. It is, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” answered the waitress with a smile.