“Don’t they taste sort of funny?” he asked. “How’s yours, Roy?”
“All right,” replied Roy, eating doggedly, his eyes fixed on space as though he were trying to concentrate all efforts on the task. Dick laid his doughnut aside and picked up another.
“Maybe that one isn’t a fair sample,” he said hopefully. “I thought it tasted of--of--I don’t know just what.”
But he appeared to derive small pleasure from his second one and with a sigh of disappointment he laid it down on his knee with a fine simulation of carelessness and took a banana. Then:
“Hello,” he said, “aren’t you eating any doughnuts, Chub?”
“Me? Oh, yes, I had one,” answered Chub. “Fine, aren’t they?”
“Toss me a banana, will you, Dick?” This from Roy, who, having caused the last of his doughnut to disappear, was still swallowing convulsively. “I ate so many sandwiches,” he added, in an apologetic tone, “that I can’t do justice to the doughnuts. Doughnuts are awfully filling things, aren’t they?”
“They certainly are,” agreed Dick and Chub together.
“These will be fine for supper,” continued Dick.
“Yes,” answered Roy, but with less enthusiasm.
“Or breakfast,” suggested Chub. “I’m awfully fond of doughnuts for breakfast. With lots of coffee,” he added as an afterthought.
Harry, who had listened to the remarks with a puckered brow and downcast eyes, struggling heroically with her own doughnut meanwhile, suddenly dropped her face into her hands and there was an audible sob.
“Hello!” cried Chub. “What’s the matter, Harry?”
There was no reply save more sobs. The three boys gazed from Harry’s heaving shoulders and bent head to each other’s faces and then back again in dismay.
“It’s the doughnuts,” whispered Dick in a flash of comprehension. Then in loud, cheerful tones, “Have another doughnut, Roy?” he asked. “I’m going to.”
“You bet! I just didn’t want to eat them all now for fear there wouldn’t be any left for breakfast; but I dare say there’ll be enough. Good, aren’t they?”
“Don’t think I ever tasted better,” said Dick.
“They’re not! They’re perfectly horrid!” Harry’s tearful eyes were gazing at them tragically. “It--it’s the almond!”
“The almond flav-flavoring,” faltered Harry. “I thought it would be nice to put some flavoring in--and I got too--too much, and they’re nasty!”