“It is,” he announced emphatically.
As the boy had been most keen for the fun when the idea had been first proposed, the others looked at him in amazement.
“Why is it too soon, Ted?” demanded Margie. “We can cook enough food tomorrow.”
“You mean Joy can,” corrected her brother. “It took you two hours to make and bake a cake the other day, and then you couldn’t eat it. But I’m not always thinking about food. We promised to help Jasper after we had finished our planting and there will be no houseraising until we—”
“Land sakes, if that’s all to hinder, don’t you young folks put off your fun another day. I can wait,” interrupted the aged farmer.
“That’s just sweet of you, Mr. Jay,” exclaimed the younger girl. “I’m crazy for a dance.”
“You’re crazy, all right,” returned her brother, disgustedly. “Aren’t you ashamed, after all Jasper and Joy have done for us, to put off helping them until you can have a dance? Two or three days will make a lot of difference to his crops.”
“So that’s the trouble, is it?” asked Chester. “Well, you can rest easy, then. I rode over Jasper’s section today, on my way to Petersen’s, and it won’t be necessary to do any replanting. His fields are all up. The fire didn’t injure them.”
“Of course it didn’t, fire don’t burn cleared ground that’s been plowed,” said Mr. Jay. “I’d have told you that, only I supposed you knew it.”
“There, Mr. Smarty, that should teach you to be sure of your facts before you talk,” taunted Margie. “And honestly, Mr. Chester, my second cake was dandy.”