Then the girls shouted
again.
"Let's have a sample ourselves," suggested one. She caught up the box
and handed out the remaining sandwich. Another girl divided it into
bites each little over an inch square, and then she lifted the cup lid
and deposited a preserved strawberry on each bite. "One, two, three,
altogether now!" she cried.
"You old mean things!" screamed Billy.
In an instant he was down in the road and handfuls of dust began to fly
among them. The girls scattered before him.
"Billy!" cried Elnora. "Billy! I'll never give you another bite, if you
throw dust on any one!"
Then Billy dropped the dust, bored both fists into his eyes, and fled
sobbing into Elnora's new blue skirt. She stooped to meet him and
consolation began. Those girls laughed on. They screamed and shouted
until the little bridge shook.
"To-morrow might as well be a clear day," said Ellen, passing around
and feeding the remaining berries to the girls as they could compose
themselves enough to take them. "Billy, I admire your taste more than
your temper."
Elnora looked up. "The little soul is nothing but skin and bones," she
said. "I never was really hungry myself; were any of you?"
"Well, I should say so," cried a plump, rosy girl. "I'm famished right
now. Let's have breakfast immediate!"
"We got to refill this box first!" said Ellen Brownlee. "Who's got the
butter?" A girl advanced with a wooden tray.
"Put it in the preserve cup, a little strawberry flavour won't hurt it.
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