"It's nice chocolate
candy, too. I'll have another piece, Trouble."
They all had some and they were eating the sweet stuff and having a
good time, when they saw their father looking at them. There was a
funny smile on his face, and near him stood the newsboy, also smiling.
"Trouble, did you open a box of candy the boy left in your seat?"
asked Mr. Martin.
"Yes, he's got some candy," answered Jan. "He said the boy gave it
to him."
"I didn't mean for him to _open_ it," the boy said. "I left it
in his seat and I thought he'd ask his father if he could have it.
But when I came to get it, why, it was gone."
"Oh, what a funny little Trouble!" laughed Mother Martin. "He
thought the boy meant to give the candy to him, I guess. Well, Daddy,
I think you'll have to pay for it"
And so Mr. Martin did. The candy was not a gift after all, but
Trouble did not know that. However, it all came out right in the end.
They had been traveling two days, and now, toward evening of the
second day, the Curlytops were talking together about what they would
do when they got to Uncle Frank's ranch.
"I hope they have lots to eat there," sighed Ted, when he and Jan
had gotten off the subject of Indians. "I'm hungry right now."
"So'm I," added his sister. "But they'll call us to supper pretty
soon."
The children always eagerly waited for the colored waiter to come
through the coaches rumbling out in his bass voice:
"First call fo' supper in de dinin'-car!"
Or he might say "dinner" or "breakfast," or make it the "last call,"
just as it happened.
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