Page:Boy scouts in the White Mountains; the story of a long hike (IA boyscoutsinwhite00eato).pdf/156

 shipped back to a New York vault, under guard that day, to avoid the chance of another scare.

They took their places at the big table, which was gay with candles, Art and Peanut having places of honor beside Mrs. Goodwin and her daughter. There were great, snowy napkins to spread on their laps, and there was iced grape fruit to begin on, and soup, and roast beef, and all sorts of good things, ending up with ice-cream. As it was after seven thirty before they sat down, and the boys had eaten nothing but emergency rations at noon, you may be sure that nobody refused a second helping of anything, just to be polite. In fact, Mrs. Goodwin saw to it that everything came around twice.

"My, nobody has eaten like this in my house for a long time!" she said, "and a housekeeper does like to see her food enjoyed. John"—this to her husband—"why don't you climb Lafayette every day, so you can get up a real appetite?"

"I wouldn't, alas!" he laughed. "I'd just get lame legs and a headache. Lafayette's for the young folks. Have some more ice-cream, Peanut?"

"Gee, I'd like to—but I'm full," said Peanut, so honestly that everybody roared.

"I don't suppose you carry an ice-cream freezer in your packs, do you?" Mrs. Goodwin laughed.

"We don't," said Rob, "nor grape fruit nor nap