United States or Somalia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
I am going to put on my waterproof and go up to the Pentzes'." "I will go too," said Jane; and Gertrude and George joined the party. Half-way up the long street they met the Pentz family coming down to make the same inquiries, Mr. and Mrs. Pentz, Mary, Sophy, Will, and the rest. "Where are the boys?" was the exclamation as they met half-way between the two houses. Mr.
"I don't like their taking two meals a day at the Wilsons'," said Mrs. Pentz. "There's no school to-morrow," said Mary, "because the new furnace is to be put in. But I dare say the boys, Sam and Jonas, will be studying all the same." "I hope he won't be out late," said Mrs. Pentz. "He's more likely to spend the night at the Wilsons'," said Mary. "You know he did a week ago."
They have their first lesson in 'Cæsar' this afternoon; perhaps they are studying up." "Jack always has to go where Sam does," said Gertrude. This was the talk at the Wilsons' table. The subject was much the same at the Pentzes'. There was a large family at the Wilsons'; so there was at the Pentzes'. Mrs. Pentz was ladling out some boiled apple-pudding to a hungry circle round her.
"There's Sooley Pentz, good-hearted a man as ever sacked ore, and plenty long-headed enough for the place he's bought in the Senate, but Sooley is restless until he's bought up one end of every town he goes into, from Eden plumb over to Washington, D. C., and 'tain't ever the Sunday-school end Sooley buys either.
Pentz was saying to Mary, "I should like you to go down to the Wilsons' and see what those boys are about." As to Mrs. Stebbins, John was so seldom at home it did not occur to her to wonder where he was. But when Saturday morning came, and no boys, Aunt Harriet said, "There's a little lull in the storm. I can't stand it any longer, Jane.
George, the youngest boy of all, said the boys had been home since afternoon school; he had seen Jack in the kitchen with John Stebbins. "Jack came to me for gingerbread," said Jane, "and I asked him where they had been, and John Stebbins said, with the Pentz boys. He said something about to-morrow being a holiday, and preparing for a lark."
Johnson, one of the leading men of the town, crossed the street to ask what was the commotion in the two families. "Our boys are missing," said Mr. Pentz. "Five boys!" "We haven't seen them since Thursday morning," said Aunt Harriet. "They were at home Thursday afternoon," said Mary Pentz. "I must speak to the police," said Mr. Pentz. "He is up at the Wilson House," said Mr. Johnson.
Wilson, looking round the table to see if everybody was helped. "He is a painter and glazier," said Aunt Harriet, "and the mother takes in washing." "They are good boys," said Mrs. Wilson. "Jonas Pentz stands high in his class, and is a great help to our Sam. Don't you remember him? He is the boy that came and spent a night with Sam a week ago.
"You know the Wilson boys are here half the time, and the other half our boys are at the Wilsons'." "Still, I don't like their going there for meal-times," said Mrs. Pentz, anxiously. "Jonas had a new lesson in 'Cæsar," said Mary Pentz. "I don't believe they planned to spend much time at dinner." But at supper-time no boys appeared at the Wilsons'. Mrs. Wilson was anxious.
But she missed two. "Where are Jonas and Dick?" she asked. A clamor of answers came up. "I saw Jonas and Dick go off with Sam Wilson after school, and Jack Wilson, and John Stebbins," said Will, one of the small boys. "You don't think Jonas and Dick both went to dine at the Wilsons'?" said Mrs. Pentz. "I should not like that." "I dare say they did," said Mary Pentz.
Word Of The Day