"Hush!" exclaimed Uncle Ezra, nervously looking around, and taking a tighter grip of his purse. "Some one might hear you. Come on in, but, mind you, I'm not going to pay for a whole breakfast for you boys. A cup of coffee, and a sandwich, is all you can have. I'm only going to take coffee, and very weak at that. Maybe I can get a weak cup for three cents. They charge awful for coffee in some of these places." The boys had gained their point, however, which was to be invited inside the restaurant, and soon the three were seated at a table in a secluded corner of the room. "A cup of weak coffee," ordered Mr. Larabee, as the waitress came to the table. "Strong coffee and griddle cakes to start with, and then ham and eggs," ordered Simon. "I'll take the same," spoke Guy. Mr. Larabee turned pale and cried out: "Here! Hold on! I thought you boys were going to----" "I guess, Guy, we'd better be going," interrupted Simon, gravely, as he got up and reached for his hat. "Mr. Larabee doesn't want to do business with us." "Yes, I do. Sit down!" cried the miserly old man. "Oh, dear! boys have such terrible appetites. You may bring me a very small cup of weak coffee," he said to the waitress, who seemed amused at something. "It's all the same price," she stated. "What? Haven't you any cheap cups--any at half price?" "No." Uncle Ezra groaned, and, while he sipped his beverage, he kept a watchful eye on the well-filled plates of Simon and Guy. They were doing hearty justice to the meal they ordered. "Pretty good cakes they have here; eh, Guy?" mumbled Simon, pouring some maple syrup over the last brown one on his plate. "Fine! yes," agreed his crony. "What do you say to another helping before we tackle the ham and eggs?" "I don't mind." Simon raised his finger to summon the waitress. "We'll have some more cakes," he ordered grandly, "and be sure to have the ham and eggs kept hot. Two more plates of cakes." "No--no!" gasped Uncle Ezra, almost over-turning his cup of coffee. "Do you want three plates?" asked the girl, turning to him. "I--er--no--of course, not," stammered the old man. "I never eat 'em. They give me indigestion, and then I have to pay a doctor's bill. I was just going to say----" He looked appealingly from Guy to Simon and from Simon to Guy. The lads winked at each other. "Queer what an appetite I've got," murmured Simon. "I didn't know I was so hungry." "Me either," added Guy. "Do you think another plate of cakes will be enough?" "Well, I don't know----" "It's all you'll git!" snapped Uncle Ezra, quickly. "Do you think I'm going to pay--I mean you'll have indigestion something terrible," he finished, for he saw that the pretty waitress was looking sharply at him. "Oh, well, I guess with one more stack of the buckwheats and with the ham and eggs and another cup of coffee we can make out," conceded Simon, and the second plates of cakes were brought.