"What do you cadets mean by coming in here and annoying my daughter?"
demanded the storekeeper hotly. "If you can't behave yourselves, you had better keep away."
"We didn't hurt your daughter," said Sam.
"My brother here did what he could to save her from annoyance," said Tom.
"Oh, I know you cadets! You are all tarred with the same brush!"
muttered the storekeeper. "I want you to get out--and stay out!"
"Yes, but----" began Dick.
"No 'buts' about it, young man. I want you to get out."
"Father, he made the other boy let go of my curls," explained the girl.
"He caught the other boy by the ear."
"That may be, Fanny, but these young bloods are all alike. I don't want their trade. They must clear out, and stay away."
"Come on, fellows," said Dick. "We'll not stay if we are not wanted." He turned again to the storekeeper. "But I want you to remember one thing: We had nothing to do with annoying your daughter."
"Did they pay for the soda?" asked the man suddenly.
"No," replied the girl.
"Then this crowd has got to pay," went on the storekeeper, unreasonably.
"How much was it?"
"Ten cents."
"We haven't bought anything and we'll not pay for anything," said Sam.
"Not a cent shall I pay," put in Songbird.
"Did vos a outrages!" burst out Hans. "Of you insult us some more I vos call a bolicemans alretty!" And he puffed up his chest indignantly.
"Well, you get out, and be quick about it!" cried the man, and raised his stick. "Don't let me catch any of you in here again either!"
"Don't worry,--we can spend our money elsewhere," said Tom.
"Where we are treated decently," added Dick, and walked from the candy store.
Once outside, the boys talked the situation over for all of ten minutes, but without satisfaction. All were indignant over the way the storekeeper had treated them, and Tom wanted to go back on the sly and play a trick on him, but Dick demurred.
"Let it go, Tom. He is a mean man, that's all."
"Well, I am going to show folks how generous he is," answered Tom, with a sudden grin. "Wait here a few minutes," and he darted into a nearby store where they sold stationery. When he came out he had a good-sized sheet of paper in his hand and also several big red seals.
"What's that?" asked Sam.
"It's a sign for the candy storekeeper's front window."
With caution Tom went back to the store. He saw that the proprietor was in the rear parlor, dishing out ice-cream to several customers who had come in. The girl was also at the back. Swiftly Tom stuck the sheet of paper up under the show window, fastening it with the gummy seals. The paper read as follows:
FREE BOUQUETS OF ROSES TO ALL YOUNG LADIES BUYING ICE-CREAM HERE TO-DAY.
COME IN!
"Now let us watch for some fun," said Tom.
They had not long to wait. The steamboat had come in and a number of passengers were walking up the street. Soon a party of three girls and a young man espied the sign.
"Oh, Clara," cried one of the girls. "Free roses this time of year, just think of it!"
"Come on right in," said the young man, and led the way into the store.
Then another young man came along with a girl and they also read the sign and entered. Soon two old maids stopped and read the announcement.
"I do love ice-cream, Angelina," said one. "Let us go in and get chocolate and get the bouquets, too." And they followed the crowd inside.
The store had two side windows to it, which were opened a few inches from the bottom for ventilation, and the cadets stole up to these windows to listen to the talk. Everybody ordered cream and began to eat, and then asked for the bouquets.
"Bouquets?" asked the storekeeper, mystified.
"Why, yes," said the young man who had brought in the three girls.
"If you don't mind, I'd like Jack roses," said one of the maidens.
"And I like American Beauties," said another.
"I don't care what kind I get so long as it is a big bunch," added the third girl.
"What are you talking about?" demanded the storekeeper.
"We are talking about the bouquets you are giving away," said the young man. He had eaten nearly all of his cream and the girls had almost finished.
"I am giving away no bouquets."
"Why, yes you are!" cried the girls.
"Of course!" put in one of the old maids, suspiciously. "And I want just as good a bunch of roses as anybody."
"So do I," added the second old maid.
"Are you folks all crazy?" demanded the storekeeper. "I am not giving away anything."
"What!" demanded the young man who had come in with one girl. "Your sign don't read that way. It says 'free bouquets of roses to all young ladies buying ice-cream here to-day.' You've got to give this young lady her bouquet or I won't pay for this cream!"
"Where is that sign?" demanded the storekeeper, and when told rushed out and tore the announcement down and into shreds. "This is a--an outrage!
I didn't put the sign up!"