legs.

"Stop, Bunny Brown!" she cried. Then to Mr. Bixby she said again: "Have
you got anything to eat at your house?"

Once more Bunny pinched her leg, and Sue cried:

"Now, you stop that, Bunny Brown! I'm not playing the pinching game
to-day."

"Well, you mustn't say that," said her brother.

"Say what?" demanded Sue.

"About Mr. Bixby having anything to eat in his house," went on Bunny.
"You know mother has told you it isn't polite."

"Oh, that's right, Bunny! I forgot. So that's why you were pinching me?"

"Yes," answered Bunny.

Sue leaned over from the back of the ragged man and said, right in his
ear:

"Please don't give us anything to eat when you get to your house. It
wouldn't be polite for us to take it after me asking you the way I did."

"Hey? What's that?" asked the ragged man, seeming to wake up from a
sleep. "Did you ask me not to go so fast?"

"No, I asked you----"

Once more Bunny pinched his sister's leg.

"Don't tell him what you asked him and he won't know, and then it will
be all right," said Bunny.

"All right," whispered Sue. Then aloud she said: "Is it much farther to
your house, Mr. Bixby?"

"Why, no," answered the ragged man. "So that's what you asked me, was
it? I wasn't listening, I'm afraid. My cabin is only a little farther
on, and then after you rest a bit I'll put you on the road to your
camp."

"And maybe he'll give us something to eat without our asking," muttered
Sue to her brother, who was behind.

"Hush!" he whispered. "Don't let him hear you."

They were soon at Mr. Bixby's cabin.

"Now, if you'll sit down a minute," said the ragged man, "I'll get you a
few cookies. I baked them myself. Maybe they are not as nice as those
your mother makes, but Tramp, my dog, likes them."

"I'm sure we will, too," said Sue. "There! what'd I tell you, Bunny
Brown?" she asked in a whisper. "I knew he'd give us something to eat!
And it isn't impolite to take it when he offers it to you!"

"No, I guess it's not," said Bunny. "Anyhow, we'll take 'em."

The ragged man appeared with a plate of cookies. The children said they
were very good indeed, fully as good as Mother Brown baked, and Tramp,
the dog, ate his share, too, sitting up on his hind legs and begging for
one when the ragged man told him to. Then the dog would sit up with a
cookie balanced on his nose, and he would not snap it off to eat until
the man told him to.

"Well, I like to have you stay," said the hermit