ir or his clothes. He could understand how Aladdin felt
about the sultan's daughter, who was so lovely--all but her name!

He was deep in the story again when a plump hand interrupted by covering
his page. So shut were his ears against every sound, inside and out,
that he had not heard Mrs. Kukor enter. Now she held up something before
his face. It was the alarm clock.

Next after Big Tom and his own hair he hated the clock most. It was
forever rousing him of a morning when he longed to sleep. Also, the
clock acted as a sort of vicar to Barber. Its round, flat, bald face
stared hard at Johnnie as its rasping staccato warned him boldly. More
than once he had gone up to the noisy timepiece, taken it from its place
on the cupboard shelf, and given it a good shaking.

"So!" exclaimed Mrs. Kukor. She set the clock down and reached for the
book. "I keeps him by me. To-morrow, sooner you wass finish mit your
work, he comes down again by the basket."

"Oh, but I can hide it!" urged Johnnie, illustrating his argument at the
same time. "And, oh, gee, Mrs. Kukor! I'm the luckiest kid in N'York!"

"Supper," pronounced Mrs. Kukor, seeing that the book was indeed well
hidden and would bring no fresh troubles upon that yellow head that day.

And it did not. For at suppertime, when Barber loomed in the doorway
once more, the teakettle was on the stove, and waddling from side to
side very much in the manner of Mrs. Kukor, the kitchen was filled with
the fruity aroma of stewing prunes, and Johnnie, with several saucers of
bright-hued beads before him, was busy at his stringing--a task which,
being mechanical, could be performed without conscious effort. And he
was so engrossed over his saucers that Barber had to speak to him twice
before the boy started up from his chair, letting the beads impaled on
his long needle slip off and patter upon the floor like so much
gay-colored sleet.

Barber gave a satisfied look around. "All right--set your table," he
commanded.

Johnnie obeyed. But this was a task which was not mechanical. And with
his thoughts still on the high hopes and plans of that other boy, he put
two knives at one plate, two forks at another. But it was all done with
such promptness, with such a quick, light step and eager, smiling eye,
that Barber, remarking the swiftness and the spirit Johnnie showed, for
once omitted to harangue him for his mistakes.

Cis was more discerning than her stepfather. When she came slipping