"Mine’s Tom," the older boy replied, "an’ his is Billy."
"Tom an’ Billy, eh? But Tom an’ Billy what? What’s ye’r other names?"
"Yes, I know that. But what’s ye’r mother’s name?"
"Oh, git out, that’s not what I want to know. What do people call her?"
With a sigh of despair Abner gave up the attempt to gain any more information, and went into the pantry. After he had fumbled about for some time, and knocked down a number of pans and dishes, he returned with two big slices of bread covered with butter and molasses.
"There, fall to," he ordered, "an’ help ye’rselves."
The children needed no second bidding. They were ravenous, and ate more like dogs than human beings. Not until they had devoured the third helping were they satisfied, and breathed a sigh of relief. Tom wiped his sticky mouth with his coat sleeve, and Billy did likewise.
"Yez needn’t paint ye’r sleeves with molasses," Abner chided. "But I guess by the look of things they’re the only napkins yez ever use. Git over to the sink there, till I give yez another scrubbin’."
When the molasses had been wiped away, Tom gave a deep yawn.
"Sleepy!" Abner fairly gasped the word, as he looked helplessly around. What was he to do? He could not think of sending the waifs out into the night, and where was he to put them to sleep?
"Confound it!" he muttered. "Wish to goodness the women folks was home; they’d know what to do. Jess’d have a chance to try out her Social Service plan. Wonder what she’d do? Mebbe she’d take ’em to sleep with her."
He paused, his face brightened, and his eyes twinkled.
"Say, kids, come with me," he ordered. "I’ll fix yez up fer the night. Ye’r uncle won’t send yez away, not by a jugful, skiddy-me-shins, if he will."
Picking up the lamp, he strode through the dining-room into the hall-way, and up the stairs, closely followed by the boys. Reaching the top, he opened a door to the right, entered the room, and placed the lamp upon the dressing-table. Tom and Billy stared around the room with undisguised wonder, for it seemed to them like fairy-land.
But alas! there was little to strip, for when the lads had removed their outer clothing, there was little underneath except rags.
"Holy smoke!" Abner exclaimed. "Is that all yez have on? Well, I declare! I can’t see nuthin’ but holes. But yez can’t go to bed with them things on. Peel off them rags at once, while I look around fer somethin’ fer yez to put on."