was leaping and barking about Meg as though she had
been gone all summer instead of one morning.

"My goodness, what did you lug that cat for?" demanded Bobby,
big-brother fashion. "You've torn some of the gathers in your dress,
too, Dot."

"Don't care," said Dot, giving Annabel Lee over to Meg with a sigh of
relief, for the cat was heavy. "I caught it on a nail coming down
the steps. Twaddles and I played school."

"I led the line, going in to assembly," reported Meg importantly.
"Where's Mother? I want to tell her."

They had reached the house by this time, and the little Blossoms
dashed up the stairs to find their mother and tell her all the news.
The twins listened eagerly, for the slightest word about school never
failed to enthrall them.

"So I think Tim Roon is hateful," concluded Bobby, when he had
finished telling Mother Blossom about the unfortunate snake. "And
Charlie Black is just like him."

"Now, children," said Mother Blossom firmly, "you needn't tell me any
child is hateful, I don't care who he is or what he does. You may
think this Tim Roon hasn't a single pleasant trait, but that doesn't
prove that he has none, only that you are not able to find it. Don't
let's have talk like this. If you find your other classmates friendly
and pleasant, think as little about the disagreeable ones as you can.
There's the lunch gong."

After the meal the four children went out to the garage to find out
what Sam Layton was going to do that afternoon, because he often had
interesting plans.

"Thought you had to go to school," Sam greeted Meg and Bobby. "Aren't
in the kindergarten, are you?"

"You know we're not," answered Bobby indignantly. "First day they
always have one session, so's the teachers can get their records fixed
up. Are you going to take the car out, Sam?"

"Well, yes," admitted Sam. "I've got orders to meet your father at the
foundry at two o'clock."

"Take us?" begged Meg. "Daddy won't care. Dot, you run and ask
Mother."

"Can't take you," Sam informed her regretfully. "Your father's going
on to Clayton for a meeting. Maybe we won't get back till eight or
nine o'clock to-night."

Meg thought this over.

"Take us as far as the foundry," she suggested. "We can walk home."

"Yes, and maybe I'll find some specimens," said Bobby. "I'll go and
get my bag and hammer."

Bobby meant the little hammer he used to crack stones with and the bag
he kept to put the cracked bits in. Bobby was very m