"From what they say, I reckon he's all right. Jest ter be a good
feller I bought ten tickets, at one bean per ticket."
"Is that all they are?" asked Stella. "Only one bean? Gracious, they'll
have to dispose of an awful lot of tickets to get enough beans to sell
to pay their rent with! Why don't they make it something else? I'd like
to contribute a dollar, at least. A bean a ticket, pshaw! How awfully
cheap! I guess he doesn't owe much."
At this remark the boys fairly cackled.
"Now, what are you laughing at?" cried Stella, almost angry. "I seem to
be more humorous to-night than I ever thought possible. I can hardly say
a word but you all start to laugh at me."
This was too much for the boys. They couldn't restrain themselves and
went off into peals of laughter. When they saw the danger signals of two
bright spots in Stella's cheeks, they realized that they had gone too
far, and all hastily tried to explain. But Ted was before them, and
quietly told Stella that in the expressive, if scarcely lucid, language
of the day a "bean," in the sense in which Bud had used it, meant a
dollar.
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