one corner of the barn, where the great
sweep of roof sloped down almost to the ground, forming a shed, and they
all climbed upon it, and watched a quacking mother as she introduced her
first brood of downy little yellow lumps to their lawful privileges as
ducklings. And all agreed (the girls and boy, that is) that it was much
nicer to be young ducks than young chickens; and there is no reason to
doubt that the young ducks thought so too, as they realized the delights
of the cold-water system.

But all agreed that nothing came up to the bantams--the proud little
strutting "gamy" (Ned said that) roosters, all bright color and
ambitious crow, and the darling wee brown mothers, scarcely larger than
quails, whose cunning babies were no bigger than a good-sized marble.
Kitty promised Ned a pair when they should be grown.

After tea he was called upon to admire Kitty's playing, but his praises
of her performance were interrupted by Miss Pamela's profuse apologies
for the condition of the piano.

"It is so terribly out of tune, you see, Master Ned." He was evidently
looked upon as something of a critic in music. He rather liked to be so
considered, and thought it unnecessary to assure them he knew nothing
about it. The old piano sounded to him very much like the bottom of two
tin pans mildly banged together; but if it had been a much better
instrument, it would have been all the same to his unmusical ear.

"Oh, it sounds very well, I assure you, Miss Pamela," he said.

"You see," went on the lady, "it hasn't been tuned for four years or
more. Mr. Scrutite went about the country for many a year tuning pianos;
but he got old, and the last time he came he left his tuning key, or
whatever you call it, saying he'd be round again if he could; but he
never came. It's such an expensive thing, you know, to bring a man
twenty miles to do it, that I've been putting it off, and putting it
off. But we'll have it done now, eh, Kitty?"

"Why, Miss Pamela," said Ned, "I'll do it for you, if you have the thing
they do it with."

"_You_, Master Ned? Can you tune a piano?"

"Well, I never did tune one, but I know exactly how they do it. I've
seen Professor Seaflatt tune my mother's ever so many times."

"Oh, I'm sure you could do it, if you really feel as if you could take
so much trouble; it would be a great kindness to us."

"Of course I'll do it, with the greatest pleasure in the world, ma'am.
Let me see-- I am to go home to-morrow