and she looked out of the window where could be seen a perfect cloud of white flakes coming down.
"Yes, I think we're going have a regular old-fashioned Winter," said Mrs. Handee. "I dread it, too. Now I'm going to make you a nice hot cup of tea. Will you boys have something to eat?" she asked.
Sammy and his chums looked at one another and their faces got rather red.
"If—if you please," said Sammy, "I'm not allowed to have strong tea."
"Me either!" added Frank and Bob.
"Bless your hearts! I didn't mean tea!" laughed Mrs. Handee. "It is not good for growing boys, unless it's very, very weak, and then it isn't tea. I meant to give you some bread and jam. Do you think you could eat it?"
"Could we?" murmured Sammy.
"Just try us, Mrs. Handee!" exclaimed Frank, and, with another laugh, the lady of the house went out to the kitchen.
"Well, I'm sure I can't thank you boys enough for what you did for me," said Mrs. Blake, after a pause.
"It wasn't anything," replied Bob.
"Oh, yes, it was, too!" she insisted. "I thank you very much, and I want to tell your mothers what nice boys you are. Lots of young folks now-a-days don't think, or care, anything about the old folks. Seems to me, now, that I've often seen you three boys around Fairview together; haven't I?" and she looked at them closely.
"Yes'm, we're generally together," replied Sammy.
"Do you go camping together?" asked Mrs. Blake.
"Oh, yes, often," spoke Frank.
"And once we were all wrecked together on Pine Island," added Bob.
"You don't tell me!" exclaimed Mrs. Blake. "On Pine
