r, saying, "O, I
thought I heard somethin' cryin';" and almost cried herself because
there was no baby there. "I wish I could stop expecting my brother,"
said Dotty, sorrowfully, "for then he might come."

But, at last, after her young heart had throbbed again and again with
false hopes, she began to see that she had been cruelly deceived. Dr.
Gray did not mean, and never had meant, to sell his baby.

"He tells too many fibs," said Dotty, stamping her foot, and looking
very much flushed; "he cheated me, he did."

"Now, Susy, do you think it was right to cheat her so?" said Prudy,
sorry for Dotty's disappointment.

"I don't know," replied the older sister, hesitating. "Dr. Gray is a
real good man. I don't believe he meant to cheat. Father wears paper
collars sometimes, and makes believe they are linen; but then, you know,
_father_ wouldn't cheat! Dr. Gray was only joking. The trouble is, Dotty
is too little to understand jokes. Dr. Gray didn't mean to break his
word."

"Well, if he didn't break it, he _bent_ it," replied Prudy, positively.

CHAPTER XII.

A WEDDING.

"I shan't buy any more brothers as long as I live--now you see if I do,"
said Dotty Dimple, with quivering lips.

"Come here, little one, and sit on my knee," said Colonel Augustus
Allen. "Can't you think of something next as good as a baby brother? How
would you fancy a grown-up uncle!"

Dotty looked wonderingly into Colonel Allen's face.

"Who's got any to sell?" said she.

"Possibly the minister may have," said Colonel Allen, laughing. "You
wait till this evening, and very likely he may be here. Then you can go
up to him and say, 'Please, Mr. Hayden, will you sell me an uncle?'"

"But he'll cheat me--he will," said Dotty, shaking her finger.

"O, no, never fear. Just try him, and see. Here's a sealed envelope
which Susy may keep for you till night."

"And shan't I have to spend the money in my porkmonnaie?"

"Not a cent of it, chickie."

Something was going on which was called _a wedding_; though what a
wedding might be, Miss Dimple had no idea, having never attended one in
all her life. But it was something remarkable, no doubt, for the parlors
ware glowing with flowers, and everybody was in a flutter. The three
children, dressed in their very best, were allowed to sit up for the
whole evening, or, at any rate, as long as they pleased.

It was as lovely out of doors as "a Lapland night." The full moon and
the gay lamplight t