you keep the hotel, an' me an' Tot'll be the boarders."

The idea of keeping the hotel was too much for Diddie's scruples, and
she readily agreed to the plan. Dilsey was then despatched to the
nursery to bring the dolls, and Chris ran off to the wood-pile to get
the wheelbarrow, which was to be the omnibus for carrying passengers to
and from the hotel.

These details being satisfactorily arranged, the next thing was to slip
off from Cherubim and Seraphim, for they followed the little girls
everywhere, and they would be too much trouble on this occasion, since
they couldn't climb up on the pile themselves, and would whine piteously
if the children left them.

The plan finally decided upon was this: Diddie was to coax them to the
kitchen to get some meat, while the other children were to go as fast as
they could down the avenue and wait for her where the road turned, and
she was to slip off while the puppies were eating, and join them.

They had only waited a few minutes when Diddie came running down the
road, and behind her (unknown to her) came Old Billy.

"Oh, what made you bring him?" asked Dumps, as Diddie came up.

"I didn't know he was comin'," replied Diddie, "but he won't hurt: he'll
just eat grass all about, and we needn't notice him."

"Yes, he will hurt," said Dumps; "he behaves jus' dreadful, an' I don't
want ter go, neither, ef he's got ter be er comin'."

"Well--I know he _shall_ come," retorted Diddie. "You jes don't like him
'cause he's gettin' old. I'd be ashamed to turn against my friends like
that. When he was little and white, you always wanted to be er playin'
with him; an' now, jes 'cause he ain't pretty, you don't want him to
come anywhere, nor have no fun nor nothin'; yes--he _shall_ come; an' ef
that's the way you're goin' to do, I'm goin' right back to the house,
an' tell Mammy you've all slipped off, an' she'll come right after you,
an' then you won't get to play on the lumber."

Diddie having taken this decided stand, there was nothing for it but to
let Old Billy be of the party; and peace being thus restored, the
children continued their way, and were soon on the lumber-pile. Diddie
at once opened her hotel. Chris was the chambermaid, Riar was the
waiter, and Dilsey was the man to take the omnibus down for the
passengers. Dumps and Tot, who were to be the boarders, withdrew to the
gin-house steps, which was to be the depot, to await the arrival of the
omnibus.

"I want ter go to