rke
picked him out for the Chicken so her mother could see her from afar."

Chicken Little ignored this pleasantry. "Thank you for saying calico,
Marian. I was just wondering what to call him and that will do
beautifully."

"Oh, have some mercy on the poor beast," put in Ernest. "Think of his
having to answer to the name of Calico. Why don't you call him gingham
apron or something really choice?"

"Allee samee, his name's Calico. If you want to call yours, Star of the
Night or Aladdin or something high falutin, you just can." Jane set her
lips firmly. She didn't specially care for Calico but she wasn't going
to be laughed out of it.

"That will do, children, it's time to be off." Dr. Morton suited the
action to the word by clucking to the team of bays he drove, and the
procession started.

They reached the station in good time. Both Ernest and Chicken Little
wanted to stay on their mounts and dash up beside the train, but their
father forbade it.

"Those ponies have never been properly introduced to an engine, and I
don't wish to take you back in baskets. You can show off sufficiently
going home."

So the ponies were left with the teams at a safe distance from the
railroad.

The train was twenty minutes late and it seemed an age to Chicken
Little. "I don't see why you always have to wait for nice things, while
the unpleasant ones come along without ever being asked," she
complained.

"What about the ponies? Do you class them with the unpleasant things?"
queried her father. "But here comes the train."

Jane watched it puff in with a roar and a rattle and sundry bangs, her
eyes strained for the first glimpse of Katy and Gertie, Alice and Dick.
She really didn't know which one she wanted to see worst.

"Bet Sherm will be the first one out," said Ernest.

"Bet you Katy will!"

But it was Dick who hailed them first, before he turned to help down the
little girls. Alice came next, with Sherm who was still rather bashful,
bringing up the rear loaded down with satchels and lunch baskets. Katy
and Gertie fell upon Chicken Little instantly and Alice had to embrace
the whole bunch, because they kept on hugging and kissing Jane, laughing
hysterically.

"Here, where do I come in?" Dick rescued Jane from her friends and gave
her a resounding smack himself. After which he held up his hands and
exclaimed: "Say, Doctor Morton, what do you feed these infants on to
make them grow so fast? Jane's a half head taller than