Page:Dick Hamilton's Fortune.djvu/190

178 "No, this is the place where you are going to stay," Dick replied.

"Can we get out an' walk?" asked another, and this seemed to strike a popular chord, for that request became general. The matron nodded an assent and the children jumped out of the stage, some boys going by way of the windows.

"You can drive on and tell them we are coming," said Dick to the driver.

"Oh, I guess they'll know it fast enough," responded the man, with a grin. "You can hear them kids a mile."

Which was true enough, for the boys and girls were fairly yelling in pure delight. Dick and the matron walked on behind the crowd, the millionaire's son watching with interest the antics of the waifs.

"Johnny! Johnny!" yelled a slip of a girl to her bigger brother. "Come right off the grass this minute! Do youse want a cop to put you out? He don't know no better, mister," she said, turning to Dick. "He didn't mean nothin'. Johnny, do you hear me? Come off that grass right away, or the man will have youse arrested."

"No, no! Nothing of the sort!" exclaimed Dick, with a laugh. "You can eat the grass if you want to. Do just as you please. There isn't a policeman within twenty miles."

Then there was a mad rush over the big lawn that led up to Sunnyside. The children yelled,