corner.

"I have some ends of candles," answered Nutty. "Come, we'll have a
little picnic--I'll invite you kids and Toddle to the feast!"

Bunny and his sister wondered what the tramp could give them to eat, but
they were both hungry and thirsty, though it was not so very long since
lunch. So, with the tramp carrying Toddle, the children followed to the
corner where Bunny had first seen what he thought was a bundle of rags.

"Stand still a minute now, kiddies," said Nutty kindly, as Bunny and Sue
reached the dark corner. "I'll make a light." He put Toddle down on the
floor, and the end of a candle, stuck on top of an old tomato can, soon
made the place fairly light. On the floor in the corner were some tin
boxes and a few bottles, one of which held a little milk, as the
children could see. The other seemed to have water in it, but what was
in the tin boxes the little boy and girl could only guess.

"We'll feed Toddle first," said Nutty. "He's so little, and he doesn't
know how to wait. Here you are, pussy!" he called, and then into a tin
box, that once had held sardines, Nutty poured some milk from the
bottle. Eagerly the little cat lapped it up, while Bunny and Sue watched
in the flickering light of the candle.

"Well, now I guess he feels better," the tramp remarked, as Toddle began
to clean his face with his red tongue, using his paws for a washrag. "Do
you kiddies like nuts?" the ragged man asked.

"Do you mean peanuts?" asked Sue.

"Those and pecans," went on the tramp. "I've got lots of nut meats.
That's why they call me Nutty--because I eat so many nuts. But they are
good and make a fine meal. Besides, they don't cost anything, for the
nut growers don't mind if I take a few nuts. Sometimes I do a little
work for them, but mostly I'm a tramp. Anyhow, that's all I've got for
you to eat now--plenty of nuts. We'll have a picnic on them."

It surely was a strange scene! Bunny Brown and his sister Sue in that
freight car with Nutty, the tramp, and Toddle, the kitten, a flickering
candle giving light as the ragged man set out his store of nuts. That is
what the tin boxes held--a goodly store of nut meats.

"I crack 'em with stones and pick 'em out in my spare time," said Nutty,
as he opened the tin boxes. "I have plenty of spare time," he added,
with a laugh. "Now, children, I haven't any chairs to invite you to sit
on, but I guess it will be safer on the floor. The car rocks so. Sit
down and eat. Nutty provid