“I think,” replied Tom, who was trying to make Barry stand on his hind legs and beg for a strip of bark torn from a spiling, “that it’s rather fun seeing trains again. I love engines, anyway. I used to think I’d be an engineer when I grew up.”
“Well, I think you’d make a success on the railroad,” said Bob thoughtfully, “but not as engineer.”
“What, then?” demanded Tom unsuspiciously.
“Why, you’d make a dandy sleeper, Tommy,” was the reply.
Presently they landed, crossed the railroad tracks, and skirted the little open space with its monument, erected, as Tom declared, to commemorate the discovery of New London by Thomas Ferris, the famous explorer. And just then they made another discovery. It was the eve of the Fourth of July. That fact was extremely evident. Up and down the street the sound of exploding firecrackers was deafening. Dan started to sing “The Night before the Fourth,” but Tommy darted into a store and when the others reached him he already had his arms full of crackers and Roman candles. Then they visited other shops and bought all sorts of things from news-papers to canvas shoes. Finally Dan was despatched to the launch with the purchases and the others went on up the hill to the big hotel. When Dan joined them he brought exciting news of a show which was announced for that evening at the local theater and during dinner they unanimously decided to attend.
“You ought to see the posters,” said Dan. “Oh, great! There’s one picture where the hero in a false yellow beard has got into the counterfeiters’ den and is holding them all at bay with a pistol in each hand, saying ‘The first to move is a dead man!’ Oh, it’s swell!”
“What’s it called?” asked Tom eagerly.
“‘The Counterfeiter’s Bride.’”
“Did you see the bride?” asked Bob.
“Yes, she was there, too; in a corner, with her face over her hands and——”