"She stays out doors most all the time, and goes
just where she pleases.

"Some days she's way down by the stashun until its
almost dark.

"You know she's always taking medesin, and carries
the bottles in her pockets.

"She carries em now, but she told me she's takin
the kind she likes best. Theres two kinds her Aunt
Matilda made her take, one tasted horrid, and the
other tasted nice. Arabella threw the horrid one
away, and ate the nice pills for candy. She told
me this morning that her Aunt Matilda is coming
home just for one day, and then they're all going
up where you, and Dorothy, and Nancy are. I don't
believe it, but if she does, and you see her, you
needn't give my love to her.

"Your tru friend,
"REGINALD."

CHAPTER X

A GIFT OF WILDFLOWERS

OF course, Dorothy and Nancy were greatly interested in the letter, and
Uncle Harry said that he was glad that Reginald had thought to say that
the fish-bone had been removed from Carlo's throat.

He said it would have seemed quite a trip to take to leave the
Cleverton, and go to Merrivale to feel Carlo's pulse, and inquire for
his health.

"Now that that bone is removed, I breathe easier," said Uncle Harry,
"and so does Carlo!"

"Oh, you wouldn't have gone home just to call on Carlo," said Flossie.

"Well, I don't know," he said, trying to look solemn, "I wouldn't like
Carlo to feel neglected, and now I think of it, does Reginald speak of
the cat?"

"No," said Flossie, "but when I answer the letter, I'll tell Reginald
you're anxious about her."

"I am," said Uncle Harry, "because the last time I saw her, Carlo was
barking at her very rudely, and her back was up in a hump like a
camel's. Reginald ought to have told us if her back is _still_ up, or
whether she has taken the kink out of her spine. We might telephone and
ask, instead of worrying."

He rose, and walked toward the hall, whistling as he went, an old
nursery song that he used to sing to Flossie.

"The cat came fiddling out of the barn,
With a pair of bagpipes under her arm."

How the children laughed!

"Look!" said Flossie, "he's going right toward the telephone, just to
make us think that he's _truly_ going to ring up Reginald,