Page:Arthur Stringer-The Loom of Destiny.djvu/65

The King who Lost His Crown a most kindly and unexpected interest in him.

In fact many sly advances were made toward Tommie. He was given a broken top and a handful of marbles, and Jimmie Birkins asked if Tommie wanted to see their cat when it was being poisoned. It was felt to be a good thing to know a boy who lived in a candy shop. All of their advances Tommie Doyle received with fitting reserve and dignity.

When he was subtly questioned about the amount of candy and taffy he was allowed to devour each day, he curled his lip with careless contempt.

"Candy? Ugh! I'm sick and tired of candy, I am!"

Never in all time had such a thing been known before. A chorus of wondering "Oh's" went up from the astonished circle.

"All I've got to do," said Tommie, with a proper sense of his own importance, "is to pick up a pan and sit down and eat it. But I like chocolate mice the best. They're great, ain't they? I just had four or five 53