y, and
had eaten all he could hold, father would say, 'William, are you
satisfied,' and he would say, 'No, father. I am full, but I am not
satisfied.'"

But notwithstanding the comparison with the insatiable William, the boys
expressed themselves as fully satisfied when every vessel of food had
disappeared from the plates, and when they returned to the
reception-room told the landlord that they had heartily enjoyed the
excellent dinner and asked again the cost of it for each.

"The cost? Well now, let me state the case as it really stands," said
the smiling landlord. "If you had come and ordered a dinner of the kind
you wished, and took seats at the public table, with a servant to wait
upon you, I should have charged you the same that I would charge any
other guest. But you just sat down with us at our family table, and
shared the plain dinner that had been prepared for us, so I do not
charge you anything."

"But we did have just the kind of dinner we like," said Fritz, "and I am
afraid our fathers would not like us to go away without paying for it."

"Oh, boys, don't worry. Your fathers have taken many a dinner here, and,
God willing, will take many more. All I ask of you is to take my advice
by going to the station and taking the train for Frankfort. If you go
now you will be in good time to catch the afternoon train for Frankfort.
Now good-bye and a pleasant journey!"

The three boys shouldered their knapsacks, Fritz still wearing his
rain-coat, although the sun shone brightly, and went through the market
place on their way to the station, Pixy in the lead carrying a bone that
Letta had given him after he finished his dinner, while the family
gathered on the porch and watched their slow movements with tears of
mirth in their eyes.

They had intended walking to Frankfort for two reasons. It would be
something of an exploit to relate to their schoolfellows, and it would
save money; but slow as they traveled to the station, the train seemed
to have waited for them for they were in ample time.

"Do you wish single fares, or return tickets?" asked the clerk.

This was a question which could not be settled too quickly. The boys
held a consultation, and Fritz gave the deciding opinion.

"If we buy a return ticket," he explained, "we will save money, but we
may want to walk back, and then would have to lose what we pay for a
return ticket. Besides, if we did not want to ride home, some one of
us, or it may be all