s not been invited.

"Or if you thought they'd let me belong to the Company, I'd rather stay
home and belong than to go to Aunt Kate's," added Sonny Boy.

Tom was one of the boys who were getting up a company of soldiers, but
Sonny Boy had never dared to say before that he wanted to join it.

Tom laughed aloud. "A great soldier you'd make, Sonny Boy! The fellows
wouldn't want you to belong," he said.

Tom didn't mean to be unkind, but he thought that when a boy was rather
bow-legged and never had got out of the small school, he ought to know
that he wasn't cut out for a soldier.

"It's well enough for him to go and visit his Aunt Kate," thought Tom.

[Illustration: "'AUNT KATE WANTS SONNY BOY,' SHE SAID."]

"You must remember not to give Bevis pound-cake when I'm gone," said Sonny
Boy, looking very cross-eyed indeed at Trixie, as he always did when he
had a good deal on his mind. And surely to go away from home, suddenly,
for six months, is a good deal for any person to have on his mind!

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SONNY BOY GOES ON A JOURNEY AND MAKES FRIENDS

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CHAPTER II

SONNY BOY GOES ON A JOURNEY AND MAKES FRIENDS

Sonny Boy set out, all alone, for the city in which Aunt Kate lived. Papa
Plummer thought that any kind of a boy of ten ought to be able to make a
little journey like that alone.

The whole Plummer family went with Sonny Boy to the Poppleton station and
gave him charges, while they waited for the train. "Write every day," said
Mamma Plummer, "and learn to spell, and don't touch Aunt Kate's scissors
to your curls."

"Say your prayers," whispered Grandma Plummer, "and change your wet
feet."

"Don't lose your money," said Papa Plummer.

"Eat your soup from the side of the spoon, and don't say 'ain't' nor 'is
that so,'" said Polly, in a severe tone.

"Don't scuff nor speak through your nose, and don't say 'No-sir-ee' to
Aunt Kate," said Dorothy.

"If you go to the circus that was here last summer, find out whether the
Wild Man is truly wild," said Tom, "and see what a big drum costs--big
enough for the Company."

"Go to a dog-man and find out what is good for Bevis' dyspepsia, and
whether he may eat cookies," said Trixie.

And then the train came whizzing along, and, with his cage of white mice
under his arm, and his turtle sticking its head out of his jac