“Lucky he didn’t come in,” laughed Joe.

Mrs. Traddle came bustling out from her rooms in the rear of the store.

“Give your orders, girls and boys,” invited Teddy. “What flavors have you got, Mrs. Traddle?”

“Oh, yes, I know you’re all neighbors,” smiled the little old lady, her deafness causing her to mistake the words of Teddy.

“You can see the list up over the mirror,” said Lucy to her brother. “And I think,” she went on, “it will be easier to point to the flavors of soda we want instead of trying to tell her.”

“That’s right,” said Joe. “Then she won’t mix lemon and vanilla as she did for me once.”

Mrs. Traddle quickly understood when64 the soda flavors were pointed out by Teddy on the list as his friends named them. And soon the five chums were sitting on stools and enjoying the drinks.

64

“Where have you been? To a party?” asked Mrs. Traddle when she had rung up the sales on the cash register.

“We’ve been chasing a deer,” Teddy said.

“Oh, my goodness, a bear! I wouldn’t chase bears if I were you,” said the old lady. “I don’t think your folks would like that. Besides, it’s dangerous. Bear! My gracious!”

“Not a BEAR. A DEER,” said Teddy in a loud voice.

“Oh, a deer? That’s different. A deer is harmless, I guess, though I never chased one.”

“This one chased us,” said Margie. “And we ran.”

“Whose deer was it?” asked Mrs. Traddle.

“It’s ours,” Teddy said.

“Oh, I didn’t know you had a deer,” Mrs.65 Traddle was much surprised. “But then I suppose I’m old fashioned. Dogs and cats were all we had for pets when I was a child.”

65

“It isn’t exactly our deer, but we sort of saw it and we are going to get it and solve the mystery of it,” Teddy said. But it is doubtful if Mrs. Traddle heard this last explanation. Some other customers came in.

 Prev. P 30/94 next