d many practical jokes; and so it came about
when Charley Bennet and Ned Morningstar and Hen Rowe began on the
afternoon of the 31st of March to talk about the 1st of April, they hit
upon Lady Harriet as a boy who would make a capital "April-fool."

"We can have no end of fun with him," said Charley. "You know he lives
all alone with his grandmother--"

"A Little Red Riding-hood," interrupted Hen Rowe.

"--down by the cedar woods," continued Bennet. "But the question now in
order is, what kind of fun shall it be?"

"Dress up like Indians, and pretend you're goin' to scalp him," proposed
little Al Smith, who had joined the party--a thing no other small boy in
that establishment would have dared to do; but then Alfred, as his aunt
called him--and a very cross old aunt she was, too--had no father nor
mother, and was such a good-natured, willing, reliable young chap that
his older school-mates made quite a pet of him, and allowed him many
liberties they would have allowed to no one else in his class.

"Nonsense, Smithey," said Hen Rowe. "Ghosts is the thing;" and striking
an attitude, he quoted:

"'I am thy father's spirit;
Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night;
And, for the day, confined to fast in fires....
I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word
Would harrow up thy soul; fre-e-e-eze thy young blood;
Make thy--'"

"That's quite enough of that, Rowe," said Bennet. "A band of young
desperadoes is my idea. The papers are full of 'em just now--fellows
living in caves and other queer places, and robbing right and left
(result of reading too many dime novels; heard the Professor say so this
morning). Been 'round here too; stole Uncle Jeff's calf day before
yesterday; and his grandmother goes to sewing society to-morrow night."

"The calf's grandmother?" asked Hen Rowe.

"Didn't know you had any grandmother," said Bennet.

"Charley's hit on the very thing," declared Ned Morningstar. "We'll let
three or four other fellows into the joke, and I'll be captain, and
we'll wear masks, and all the old clothes we can beg, borrow, or take,
and get ourselves up prime as a No. 1 band of reg'lar young villains.
Aha! your money or your life!" making a lunge at small Al.

"But you won't really hurt Lady Harriet?" said the little fellow, an
anxious look coming into his soft brown eyes. "He's good to me, and
gives me candy, and took me fishin' once."

"Took you fishin'!" repeated Charley Bennet,