ered one of the men roughly,
pushing the three children not unkindly over in the direction of the
ditch. "This is no place to stand and talk--hasn't your mother ever
told you to keep out of the streets?"

The driver of the truck, who was a young man with blue eyes and a quick
smile, patted Brownie on the head gently.

"I saw the dog," he explained to Brother. "I wouldn't have run over
him, anyway. Next time, no matter what happens, don't you run into the
road. Cars going the other way might have struck you, and I didn't know
which way you were going to jump after you got the dog. No driver wants
to run over a dog if he can help it, and you children only make matters
worse by dashing in among traffic."

"I didn't mean to," said Brother sorrowfully. "Only I didn't want
Brownie to get hurt. I hardly ever dash among traffic, do I, Sister?"

"No, he doesn't," declared Sister loyally, while Nellie stood silently
by. "Mother always makes us promise to be careful 'bout dashing."

The three men laughed.

"Well, as long as you don't make it a practice, we won't count this
time," said the man who had told them not to stand talking in the road.
"Now scoot back to the sidewalk--or, here, George, you take them over.
That's a nice dog you have."

George, it proved, was the driver, and he took Sister by one hand and
Brother by the other. Nellie held Sister's other hand and Brother
carried Brownie, and in this order they made their way safely back to
the pavement on the other side of the street.

"Good-bye, and don't forget about keeping out of the street," said the
truck-driver cheerfully, when he had them neatly lined up on the curb.

They watched him run back to his machine--as Brother observed, he
didn't look to see whether any motor-cars were likely to run him down,
but then, of course, he was grown up and used to them--saw him mount to
the high seat, and waved good-bye to all three men. Then they walked
on, for the sand-toys were still to be bought.

Brother and Sister were the most careful of shoppers, and with Nellie
to help them by suggestions, they managed to find a set of tin
sand-dishes, a windmill that pumped sand, a little iron dumpcart that
would be very useful to carry loads, and a string of tin buckets that
went up and down on a chain and filled with sand and emptied again as
long as anyone would turn the handle.

"Come over after lunch and we'll play," said Sister as Nellie left them
at her own hedge.

N