Read Ebook: The Paston Letters A.D. 1422-1509. Volume 5 (of 6) New Complete Library Edition by Gairdner James Editor

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A BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT

"Here's Tad. He'll tell us," cried Walter Perkins. "Oh, Tad, how long a trip is it to the Maine Woods from here?"

"That depends upon whether you walk or ride," answered Tad Butler, walking slowly up to the barn of Banker Perkins where three brown-faced boys were sitting in the doorway, polishing bridles, mending saddles and limbering up their lassos.

"Of course you know what we mean," urged Ned Rector with a grin.

"Yes, I know what you mean."

"He isn't mean. You're the mean one," interjected Stacy Brown, otherwise known among his fellows as Chunky, the Fat Boy.

"Chunky, remember we are at home in Chillicothe now and are supposed to set examples to our less fortunate fellow citizens. Any fellow who can get into the village paper the way you have done ought to hold his head pretty high," chuckled Rector.

Stacy threw out his chest.

"You mean that lion-catching article?"

Ned nodded.

"Yes, that was a pretty swell article. They think I'm the original wonder here in Chillicothe."

"You are. There can be no doubt of that," laughed Tad.

"I'm glad you've come, Tad," continued Ned, turning to young Butler. "We are planning for the new trip to the Maine Woods. I shall be glad to get east. I've never been far east. Any of the rest of you been east?"

"Well, I have been out to Skinner's farm. That's east of the village," declared Stacy Brown.

"Please, please!" begged Ned, a pained expression appearing on his face. "Leave all that sort of nonsense to entertain us after we get into the woods. We don't mind so much your playing the fool when we are away from home, but here it is different. We don't want to be disgraced in this town where we are--"

"Some pumpkins," finished Chunky.

"Well, yes; that's it, I guess," agreed Ned.

"We were waiting for you to talk over what we should take along," declared Walter. "I have been studying and reading and talking with Abe Parkinson, who, you know, used to live up in Maine. He says we must travel very light; that going is hard up there in the woods. He says we don't want an ounce of excess baggage, or we'll never get anywhere. Do you know anything about it, Tad?"

"Yes. I guess Mr Parkinson is right about that. It will be real roughing, perhaps more so than anything you fellows ever have experienced, for you will be a long way from civilization."

"But we'll get plenty to eat, won't we?" begged Stacy, glancing anxiously at Tad.

"You usually do."

"Chunky can browse on green leaves if we get out of food," chuckled Rector.

"Now, I call that real mean," complained the fat boy. "What did I ever do to you to merit such a fling as that?"

"You made a noise like a rattlesnake once and got me dumped into the bushes. Remember that?"

Chunky did. An appreciative grin spread over his round face.

"I haven't got even with you for that, but I shall some day and mine will be a terrible revenge. Br-r-r!"

"Oh, fudge!" scoffed the fat boy. "You talk easily, but no one is afraid of you."

"We aren't here to fight," reproved Walter. "We are here to talk over our journey, and now that Tad has arrived let's get to business, as father would say."

"Especially if you owed him money and couldn't pay it," laughed Stacy.

"Are you all ready, Tad?"

Tad's face grew serious.

"Boys, I'm afraid I can't go with you this time," answered Butler in a low tone.

"Can't go?" exploded the boys.

"No, I think not, this time. Some other time, perhaps."

"Nonsense! Is this some kind of joke?" demanded Rector.

"It's no joke, Ned. I mean it."

"But what--why--"

"I'll tell you, boys."

"Don't tell us. We can't bear to hear disagreeable things," mourned Stacy.

"Go on, Tad, we want to know," urged Walter.

"Well, the whole thing is that Mother isn't well. She hasn't been well all winter. She is not so well now as she was a month ago, and--"

Tad swallowed and moistened his lips with his tongue.

"I couldn't think of leaving her alone, just now; no, not for anything."

"Then you won't go?" questioned Stacy.

Tad shook his head.

"That settles it. Neither will I," decided Chunky.

"Oh, yes you will. You will go on just the same as before, and you will have just as good a time. After you get out into the open again you'll forget that I am not along."

"What! Do you think I would trust my precious person to these savages?" demanded the fat boy with a gesture that took in Ned Rector and Walter Perkins. "Why, I'd never come back!"

"No great loss if you didn't," muttered Rector.

Tad laughed.

"You are old enough to take care of yourself, Chunky. You will have the Professor to protect you in case anything goes wrong."

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