Clemantiny spoke as sharply as Aunt Harriet had ever done , but somehow or other Chester did not feel afraid of her and her black eyes . She sat down by his side and fed him from the bowl of hot broth with a deft gentleness oddly in contrast with her grim expression . Chester thought he had never in all his life tasted anything so good as that broth . The boy was really almost starved . He drank every drop of it . Clemantiny gave a grunt of satisfaction as she handed the empty bowl and spoon to the silent , smiling Miss Salome . `` Now , who are you and what do you want ? '' she said . Chester had been expecting this question , and while coming along the Hopedale road he had thought out an answer to it . He began now , speaking the words slowly and gaspingly , as if reciting a hastily learned lesson . `` My name is Chester Benson . I belong to Upton up the country . My folks are dead and I came to Montrose to look for work , I 've been there a week and could n't get anything to do . I heard a man say that you wanted men to help in the harvest , so I came out to see if you 'd hire me . '' In spite of his weakness , Chester 's face turned very red before he got to the end of his speech . He was new to deception . To be sure , there was not , strictly speaking , an untrue word in it . As for his name , it was Chester Benson Stephens . But for all that , Chester could not have felt or looked more guilty if he had been telling an out-and-out falsehood at every breath . `` Humph ! ''
XXXXX Clemantiny in a dissatisfied tone .
coming drank expecting fed gave got reciting said starved thought