don't
like to live here at all. I used to complain when I was Joe instead
of Josephus, and had to learn lessons, and do errands. But this is
worse than anything I ever dreamed about when I had the nightmare."

"That is the way I feel," said Letitia soberly. "I used to complain,
but I wouldn't now. I've been living back of complaints too long."

"So have I," said Josephus. Then he added, "Say, I'm awful glad I got
scared, and ran here, and found you."

"So am I."

"There's something I want to tell you that's very queer," whispered
Josephus. "There is a wooden book just like the one in Mr. Holbrook's
house under the eaves in the lean-to, and I know where the key is. It
is in the chest in the kitchen, in the till hidden under a lot of
linen night-caps."

"Has it a green ribbon on it?" whispered Letitia fearfully.

"Yes, it has. Say, don't you ever think you'd like to run away from
here?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid I might get into something worse."

"That's the way I feel. Otherwise we might both watch our chance and
go through that wooden book in our lean-to, but we might find
ourselves in Grandmother Peabody's garret where I came from, and we
might find ourselves in a place full of worse wild animals than there
are here, and things worse than Injuns. And we might have to learn
more than we've learned here, and work harder, and I don't feel as if
I could stand that."

"I don't either." Then Letitia whispered very violently, "There is a
little green door here, and I know where the key is, with a green
ribbon, but I am afraid."

"That's very funny--just like me," said Josephus.

"Well, I may make up my mind to take the chance anyhow, and if I do
you had better. Say, if you hear I've gone, you just go through your
little green door, will you?"

"Maybe," whispered Letitia doubtfully, and then her
Great-great-grandmother Letitia came back. "There isn't a sign of an
Injun here," said she, "and I am 'most froze. I'm going to start the
fire, and you boy, you had better come too. You can sleep on the
floor by the fire to-night and go home in the morning. Father and
mother are coming. I heard their horses. Mother's is a little lame,
and favors one foot, and I know. They're right here, and they'll be
cold, and I've got to start up the fire."

"I'll help," cried Josephus.

"You'd better," said the elder Letitia; "if I had a brother as big as
you, he'd have to work instead of hunting rabbits."

Josephus flew about the