stantly, requiring my
utmost care to prevent it from catching fire.

But the revolution was over in a week, and about the same time Puff
began to be a little better. Then she went on improving so fast that I
thought I really must go and tell her brothers and sisters about it. So
off to Glenwood I went one fine night, where I was greeted, as usual,
with a chorus of delight.

"Oh! Mr. Moonman!" cried Fluff, clapping her hands. "And we thought he
didn't know the way here! How _did_ you know where to find us, Mr.
Moonman, dear?"

"Why, if you come to that," I replied, "there are very few places in the
world that I cannot find, and Glenwood is not a very hard one to
discover, my mouse. Now I have good news for you. I have just come from
Puff's nursery; she sends her love to you all, and says she is nearly
well, and wants to know what you have been doing all this time."

Then rose a clamor of questions from all sides, which I answered as best
I could. Yes, she sat up every day, and she had broiled chicken for
dinner, and dip-toast for supper, and Uncle Jack had given her a lovely
new doll, with flaxen hair curling all over her head, whose name was
Scarlatina Clematis Alfarata; but Puff called her Tina, "for short."

"Did I know that Downy had been ill?" Brighteyes asked.

"No I did not know it! What had been the matter?"

"Oh! it wasn't much!" broke in Nibble: "I don't see why they made such a
fuss about it. I made a feast for him, because Aunt Grace wanted me to
amuse him while she gave Brighteyes her French lesson; and I cooked the
feast in Roger's little stove, and some of the black paint got into the
food and made it disagree with him. Things are always disagreeing with
people; I don't see why. People eat oil, and I don't see why they
shouldn't eat paint; there's a great deal of oil in paint, Uncle Jack
told me so."

[Illustration]

"Well," I said, "you might spread paint instead of butter on your bread,
and see how you like it. Personally, I am inclined to take Downy's view
of the matter. But now, we must not stop too long, for we have a long
way to go to-night. I am going to fulfil my promise at last, and take
you to see Patty! What do you say to that, all four of you?"

The mice did not say much that was intelligible, but their shrieks of
delight, their jumping and clapping of hands, were quite satisfactory.
The big cloud was waiting outside, and the seven Winds were there, too,
impatient for a frolic; so I