"
"Oh, certainly!" exclaimed Dick, remembering that he must play the
host. "Go right in, Uncle Ezra and tell the butler to get you a
lunch. I'll be in immediately."
"Well, I could eat a little snack," admitted the crabbed old man.
"I did think of stopping in the restaurant at the railroad depot on
my way here, and getting a sandwich. But the girl said sandwiches
were ten cents, and they didn't look worth it to me.
"I asked her if she didn't have some made with stale bread, that
she could let me have for five cents, but she said they didn't sell
stale sandwiches. She seemed real put-out about it, too. She
needn't have. Stale bread's better for you than fresh, anyhow.
"But I didn't buy one. I wasn't going to throw away ten cents.
That's the interest money on a dollar for two whole years."
Then he started back to the house.
"Isn't he the limit!" cried Dick, in despair. "He's got almost as
much money as we have, and he's so afraid of spending a cent that
he actually goes hungry, I believe. And his house--why he's got a
fine one, but the only rooms he and Aunt Samantha ever open are the
kitchen and one bedroom. I had to spend some time there once, as
I guess you fellows know, and say--good-night!" cried Dick, with a
tragic gesture.
"He seemed interested in airships," ventured Paul.
"It was the twenty thousand dollars he was interested in," laughed
Dick. "I wonder if he--"
"What?" asked Innis, as the young millionaire paused.
Pages:
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90