“Then Pap and I’ll ride over with you, or you can stay till morning.”
“We couldn’t think of putting you to so much—” began Phil, when his brother exclaimed:
“Oh, let’s stay. My mouth is watering for something good to eat. I’m tired of bacon and eggs, and I’ve only been eating them for a couple of days.”
Ted’s ingenuousness sent them into a gale of laughter, and with one accord they all rode to the barn, where the horses were put up, after which they returned to the cabin, and the boys watched eagerly while Joy brought out pies, cakes and other toothsome dainties and set them on the table.
“Land sakes, here we be, entertaining comp’ny, and we don’t even know their names,” exclaimed the old man, after they had been eating for some time.
“We were too excited to remember to introduce ourselves,” apologized the elder boy. “Our name is Porter. This is my brother, Ted, and I am Phil.”
“Oh, what a lovely name,” exclaimed the girl, and then, blushing in confusion, she added hastily: “Ours is Jay. They call Pap Jasper and me Joy.”
The glance that Phil gave the girl showed he thought the name most appropriate, though he sensibly refrained from saying so, but Ted gave him a wink to let him understand he read his mind.
Happy in the thought of such unexpected companionship, the young people laughed and chatted, oblivious of Mr. Jay and the intentness with which he scrutinized the boys.
All at once, during a pause in conversation, their attention was drawn to the old man.