Elnora's heart began to ache.
"Say," said the boy. "Ain't you going to look what we have gave you?"
"I thought it wasn't polite to look before people," answered Elnora. "Of
course, I will, if you would like to have me."
Elnora opened the package. She had been presented with a quarter of a
stale loaf of baker's bread, and a big piece of ancient bologna.
"But don't you want this yourselves?" she asked in surprise.
"Gosh, no! I mean ist no," said the boy. "We always have it. We got
stacks this morning. Pa's come out of it now, and he's so sorry he got
more 'an ever we can eat. Have you had any before?"
"No," said Elnora, "I never did!"
The boy's eyes brightened and the girl moved restlessly.
"We thought maybe you hadn't," said the boy. "First you ever have, you
like it real well; but when you don't have anything else for a long
time, years an' years, you git so tired." He hitched at the string which
held his trousers and watched Elnora speculatively.
"I don't s'pose you'd trade what you got in that box for ist old bread
and bologna now, would you? Mebby you'd like it! And I know, I ist know,
what you got would taste like heaven to Jimmy and Belle. They never had
nothing like that! Not even Belle, and she's most ten! No, sir-ee, they
never tasted things like you got!"
It was in Elnora's heart to be thankful for even a taste in time, as
she knelt on the bridge, opened the box and divided her lunch into three
equal parts, the smaller boy getting most of the milk.
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