ing pictures and
anecdotes such as boys love. Still nicer times working about the house,
helping get things in order; and best of all were the daily drives with
Miss Celia and Thorny, when weather permitted, or solitary rides to
town through the heaviest rain, for certain letters _must_ go and come,
no matter how the elements raged. The neighbors soon got used to the
"antics of that boy," but Ben knew that he was an object of interest as
he careered down the main street in a way that made old ladies cry out
and brought people flying to the window, sure that some one was being
run away with. Lita enjoyed the fun as much as he, and apparently did
her best to send him heels over head, having rapidly learned to
understand the signs he gave her by the touch of hand and foot, or the
tones of his voice.

These performances caused the boys to regard Ben Brown with intense
admiration, the girls with timid awe, all but Bab, who burned to
imitate him, and tried her best whenever she got a chance, much to the
anguish and dismay of poor Jack, for that long-suffering animal was the
only steed she was allowed to ride. Fortunately, neither she nor Betty
had much time for play just now, as school was about to close for the
long vacation, and all the little people were busy finishing up, that
they might go to play with free minds. So the "lilac-parties," as they
called them, were deferred till later, and the lads amused themselves
in their own way, with Miss Celia to suggest and advise.

It took Thorny a long time to arrange his possessions, for he could
only direct while Ben unpacked, wondering and admiring as he worked,
because he had never seen so many boyish treasures before. The little
printing-press was his especial delight, and leaving everything else in
confusion, Thorny taught him its use and planned a newspaper on the
spot, with Ben for printer, himself for editor, and "Sister" for chief
contributor, while Bab should be carrier and Betty office-boy. Next
came a postage-stamp book, and a rainy day was happily spent in pasting
a new collection where each particular one belonged, with copious
explanations from Thorny as they went along. Ben did not feel any great
interest in this amusement after one trial of it, but when a book
containing patterns of the flags of all nations turned up, he was
seized with a desire to copy them _all_, so that the house could be
fitly decorated on gala occasions. Finding that it amused her brother,