e's not your dog anyhow," said Myron. "He's Gwenny's."

"Yes, and Myron bought him for her at the Pet Shop with money he earned
himself. It is a toy poodle, so he won't ever be big."

"Now who tells the next story?" asked Rosanna. "I think it is Tommy's
turn."

"Don't know none," said Tommy.

"Don't know _any_," his sister corrected him. "Go on and try, Tommy."

Tommy breathed hard, then said rapidly:

"Well, once over on the parkway two kids was playin', and a man came
along drivin' a race horse, and it had got scared at a nautomobile, and
was runnin' away, and the rein had broke, and the man he yelled, 'I'll
give anybuddy a million dollars to stop this horse,' and one of the kids
'bout my size give a leap and grabbed the horse by the nose and stopped
him. And the man jumped right out and give the kid a million dollars."

"The saints forgive him!" said Minnie. She did not say who.

"Mercy me!" said Rosanna.

"What did he do with the money?" asked Helen.

"Spent it," said Tommy promptly. "Went right down town and spent it."

"What could he spend such a lot for?" asked Helen.

"Spent it for candy and ice-cream cones and sody and cake, and he went
to the circus and all the side shows, and Fontaine Ferry and bought a
nautomobile and sling shot and everything."

"My sister Louisa Cordelia ought to know you," said Minnie.

"Don't want to know any girls," said Tommy rudely.

Rosanna felt that it was time to change the conversation. "Now who
next?" she asked pleasantly. "What story can Luella tell?"

"I don't believe she can tell any story," said Mary, "but she knows some
little verses she learned in school. They have such a sweet young lady
for a teacher; mamma says she never saw anybody take such pains with the
children as she does." She turned to Luella who was wriggling in
embarrassment and biting her finger. "Speak something Miss Marie taught
you, Luella honey."

"Miss Marie?" said Minnie. "Miss Marie? What is her other name?"

"Corrigan," said Mary.

"Well, then, that's my younger sister," said Minnie proudly. "She's a
teacher, and I _will_ say she is a good one. Nothing would do but she
must go through normal school and teach. Seems like she was just made
for it, so patient and loving." She cast a glance at Tommy. "Not much
like my sister Louisa Cordelia, she isn't."

"The children just love her to death," said Mary. "Go on, honey, and say
the little piece about the little bird."

Luella arose,