It was devoured to the rind, after which the convives reclined luxuriously upon a mound of excelsior beside an empty crate.
"Penny grabs!" cried the host with a fresh inspiration, and they cheered him.
One of the five volunteered to go for them and the money-drunken host confided the price of three of them to him.

The messenger honorably returned, the pennygrabs were bisected with the new knife, and all of them but Merle smoked enjoyably.

He, going back to his candy and lemon, admonished each and all that smoking would stunt their growth.

It seemed not greatly to concern any of them.

They believed Merle implicitly, but what cared they?
Now the messenger in buying the pennygrabs had gabbled wildly to another boy of the sensational expenditures under way, and this boy, though incredulous, now came to a point in the alley from which he could survey the fed group.