Exit Miss Matilda and Miss Lydia.
Spud drew a long breath that seemed to come from his shoes and glanced about him.
“Did anybody speak?” he inquired. Molly giggled softly. The footsteps of the Misses Curtis died away upstairs.
“I guess,” said Sandy, looking around for confirmation, “that we’ll have to be going back now.”
“Yes,” said Hoop and The Fungus in a breath.
“Oh, please!” exclaimed Molly. “Let’s go out to the shed. It’s dandy out there; and there are lots of apples.”
“Well—” began Sandy hesitatingly. But Molly had already jumped up and was leading the way. The boys seized their caps from the table and followed her down the steps and around the side of the house. At Molly’s command the sliding door was pushed back and a fervid aroma of apples met them.
“Now let’s bring some of those boxes over here by the door,” she said, “and sit down. Two of you can have the wheelbarrow.”
[Presently they were all seated], Spud and Cal on an empty barrel which creaked ominously whenever they stirred, but not before Molly had led the way to the best apples and they had supplied themselves therewith.
“I’m awfully fond of apples,” she announced from her seat on a soap box by the door. “Aren’t you?” She addressed Sandy.