shouldn't be punished for that. The house is none too
good at all, and the place is not worth more. Last year was the drought
and all manner of bad luck, and next year may be no better. Truly, Mr
Conroy, if you press me, I don't know how I can scrape more together
than I'm paying now."

"Well, then," said Mr Conroy. "You must just find a way, for this is
one of the best farms about here, and you should pay as much as any
one."

"You can't get money by shaking a man with empty pockets," said Mr
McQueen.

But Mr Conroy only laughed and said:

"You'll have five pounds in yours when next rent-day comes around, or
'twill be the worse for you. You wouldn't like to be evicted, I'm
sure."

Then he mounted his horse and rode away.

Mr McQueen went into the house with a heavy heart, and told his wife
the bad news.

"Faith," said Mrs McQueen, "I'd not be in that man's shoes for all you
could offer. It's grinding down the faces of the poor he is, and that
at the telling of some one else! Not even his badness is his own! He
does as he's bid."

"He gets fat on it," said Mr McQueen.

"Faith, we'll get along somehow," said Mrs McQueen. "We always have,
though 'tis true it's been scant fare we've had now and again."

Mr McQueen didn't answer. He went back to his work in the fields.
Mrs McQueen got the Twins started off to school, with their lunch in a
little tin bucket, and began her washing, but she did not sing at her
work that day as she sometimes did.

Larry and Eileen knew that something was wrong, though their Father and
Mother had not said anything to them about it.

They had seen Mr Conroy talking with their Father in the yard. "And
it's never a sign of anything good to see Mr Conroy," Eileen said.

Larry was thinking the same thing, for he said:--

"When I'm a man, I'm going to be rich, and then I'll give you and Mother
and Dada a fine house, and fine clothes, and things in plenty."

"However will you get the money?" asked Eileen.

"Oh! Giants or something," Larry answered, "or maybe being an
Alderman."

"Blathers!" said Eileen. "I've a better plan in my head. You know Dada
and Mother said we could have Diddy for our very own, because we found
her ourselves."

"I do," said Larry.

"Well, then," said Eileen, "I know it's about the rent they are
bothered, for it always is the rent that bothers them. Now, when the
Fair-time comes we'll coax Dada to let us take Diddy to the Fair.
She'll be