The shopkeeper, a peevish-looking man, with lightish hair, stood behind the counter weighing out a pound of tea for a customer.
"What do you want here, you little vagabonds ?" he exclaimed, harshly, as he saw the two boys enter.
"We are cold," said Phil.

"May we stand by your stove and get warm ?" "Do you think I provide a fire for all the vagabonds in the city ?" said the grocer, with a brutal disregard of their evident suffering.
Phil hesitated, not knowing whether he was ordered out or not.
"Clear out of my store, I say!" said the grocer, harshly.

"I don't want you in here.

Do you understand ?" At this moment a gentleman of prepossessing appearance entered the store.

He heard the grocer's last words, and their inhumanity made him indignant.
"What do these boys want, Mr.Perkins ?" he said.
"They want to spend their time in my shop.