to
the girls and Papa."

"Yes, dear, I know. You're to come back often, Papa says, and I shall
call you my girl always." So, with kisses, they separated, and Miss
Inches went back to her old life, feeling that it was rather comfortable
not to be any longer responsible for a "young intelligence," and that
she should never envy mammas with big families of children again, as
once she had done.

"So we've got our Curly Locks back," said Katy, fondly stroking
Johnnie's hair, the night after the travellers' return. "And you'll
never go away from us any more, will you?"

"Never, never, never!" protested Johnnie, emphasizing each word by a
kiss.

"Not even to be adopted, travel in Europe, or speak Litchfield Co.
French?" put in naughty Clover.

"No. I've been adopted once, and that's enough. Now I'm going to be
Papa's little girl always, and when the rest of you get married I shall
stay at home and keep house for him."

"That's right," said Dr. Carr.

GOOSEY, GOOSEY GANDER.

[Illustration]

"BUT why must I go to bed? It isn't time, and I'm not sleepy yet,"
pleaded Dickie, holding fast by the side of the door.

"Now, Dickie, don't be naughty. It's time because I say that it's time."

"Papa never tells me it's time when it's light like this," argued
Dickie. "_He_ doesn't ever send me to bed till seven o'clock. I'm not
going till it's a great deal darker than this. So there, Mally Spence."

"Oh, yes, you are, Dickie darling," replied Mally coaxingly. "The reason
it's light is because the days are so long now. It's quite late
really,--almost seven o'clock,--that is," she added hastily, "it's past
six (two minutes past!), and sister wants to put Dickie to bed, because
she's going to take tea with Jane Foster, and unless Dick is safe and
sound she can't go. Dickie would be sorry to make sister lose her
pleasure, wouldn't he?"

"I wiss you didn't want me to go," urged Dick, but he was a
sweet-tempered little soul, so he yielded to Mally's gentle pull, and
suffered her to lead him in-doors. Upstairs they went, past Mally's
room, Papa's,--up another flight of stairs, and into the attic chamber
where Dick slept alone. It was a tiny chamber. The ceiling was low, and
the walls sloped inward like the sides of a tent. It would have been too
small to hold a grown person comfortably, but there was room in plenty
for Dickie's bed, one chair, and the chest of drawers which held his
clothes and toys. One narrow window li