He was conscious that a laugh would be regarded as an insult by this very angry and earnest young girl.

But at last Eddy tendered him the bag with the rescued peppermint-drops.
"I shouldn't think you would ask more than half-price for candy like this, anyway," said Eddy, admonishingly, and that was too much for the man.

He shouted with laughter; not even Charlotte's face, which suddenly flushed with wrath, could sober him.

She looked at him a moment while he laughed, and her face of severe judgment and anger intensified.
"Very well," said she, "if you see anything funny about this, I am glad, Mr.Anderson." But the boy, who had viewed with doubt and suspicion this abrupt change of aspect on the part of the man, suddenly grinned in response; his black eyes twinkled charmingly with delight and fun.
"Say, _you're_ all right," he said to Anderson, with a confidential nod.
"Eddy!" cried Charlotte.
"Now, Charlotte, you don't see how funny it is, because you are a girl," said Eddy, soothingly, and he continued to grin at the man, half-elfishly, half-innocently.

He looked very small and young.
The girl caught hold of his arm.