"My mother? Why, she don't know I've been swimming!"
"O, I forgot; well, run home!"
"Don't want to," said Preston, squeezing his hair; "want to play ball. Come on!"
"Can't," said Tom; "have to get some coal."
"Do they make you work Saturdays?"
"Yes, all day, like a dog," muttered Tom, taking to his heels.
Everybody knew that Tom never worked, so this was absurd. Preston ran after him, and caught him by the sleeve.
"Come, let's play ball!"
Tom shook him off as if he had been a cobweb.