is so hard on
children."

"Me-e-a-ow," returned Kitty, with plaintive affirmation.

Mrs. Pennypacker went over to the table and gave him a mouthful of
something. If it wasn't chicken it answered the purpose. Then she sat
down to rock him to sleep and asked Ben in what battle he had lost his
leg.

Ben thought it was the battle of White Plains. He was very young at the
time.

"How hard it must be to have a wooden leg," sighed Nora. "And of course
you can't dance a bit."

"Oh, no, indeed!"

"Did they treat you very badly when you were a prisoner?"

"Dreadful," answered Ben. "They didn't give us half enough to eat."

"That was terrible. I hope you'll be contented here, where everything is
so nice and cheerful. I am going to see Mr. and Mrs. Brown now."

"Please give them my compliments and tell them I should be very happy to
have them call."

Charles had been watching Ben furtively with an apprehension that the
real enjoyment of the afternoon would be spoiled. And no doubt he would
tell the Houston Street boys "all about it." He was hardly prepared to
see Ben enter so into the spirit of the "make believe."

Then Ben and Mrs. Dean had a little talk that might have been considered
an anachronism, since it was about the foot still fast to his body. He
had stepped on a piece of glass in the stable, and it had gone through
the old shoe he had on for that kind of work. But Joe had seen it that
morning and thought it would get along all right.

They were talking very eagerly over the other side of the city. And
presently quite a procession came to call on the old veteran. Ben and
Charles fell into a discussion about some battles, and the misfortune it
was to the country to lose New York so early in the contest. They
compared their favorite generals and discussed the prospect of war with
Mexico that was beginning to be talked about. And Mr. Brown said he had
some cousins who were very anxious to see an old soldier of the
Revolution. Could he bring them over?

Then Elsie and Florence Hay came. Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Pennypacker asked
him to tea and he said he should be glad to accept.

Mrs. Dean thought they had better have their tea in the dining-room, but
Josie said let them spread the cloth on the coping of the area, and
bring the chairs and benches just inside. Charles said that would be a
sort of Roman feast and the guests would make believe there were
couches. They put down papers and then a cloth, and Josie bro