e a Goin' with the High Toned Gals," and a lot more that
I can't remember, and between every piece he'd tell a story.

Then John began to get tired, and it was about ten o'clock. So Vangy
went home, and we all went to bed. And after Mitch and me got in bed, I
heard him laughin' to himself, and I says, "What's the matter, Mitch?"
And he says, "This is the funniest thing I ever see, I wouldn't have
missed this for anything." Then we fell asleep.

The next mornin' Aunt Caroline had the wonderfulest breakfast you ever
saw: waffles, honey, bacon, eggs, and John just et and talked and kept
swearin'. And Aunt Caroline sat lookin' down at her plate eatin' and
didn't say nothin'--just looked calm and happy.

John seemed to have some kind of business that mornin'. Anyway he went
away for a bit and left us to ourselves lookin' about the place and
goin' over some photographs Aunt Caroline had. By and by Vangy came in
and John. And John got out the fiddle again, to play a piece he called
"Injun Puddin'" and so the fun was startin' all over again. There was a
knock at the door and Aunt Caroline went and opened it, and there stood
my pa and Mr. Miller. "Well, you young pirates," said my pa, as he came
in the room, "you're goin' down to see Tom Sawyer, are you, and run away
from your home?"

"They got a job on the steamboat, Hard," said John. "You can't interfere
with that, you know." And he laughed and swore.

"I'll get a switch to you, young man," my pa went on. "Mitchie, what
makes you do this?" asked Mr. Miller. "It does beat the world. Your
mother is worried almost to death."

Mitch looked down. I was still because I was scared. Pretty soon
everything got jolly again. John fiddled some more. They all told
stories, the funniest you ever heard, and everybody laughed. I saw Aunt
Caroline smile clear across her face. Then we had a grand dinner. And
when the train came in, my pa and Mr. Miller put us on and took us back
to Petersburg.

Of course John Armstrong tricked us, but when did he do it--and how? I
don't know.

CHAPTER XXI

Everything seemed changed now. My ma wasn't the same, the house wasn't
the same; Myrtle was talkin' about girls and boys I didn't know. Maud
Fisher had come back from Chicago where she had visited and Myrtle was
goin' up the hill to see her. Maud lived in a great brick house that
looked like a castle. Her pa was one of the richest men in town and they
lived splendid.

And Mitch was change