o Laddie began winding in the string of
Russ's kite.

Then Laddie noticed that his own kite was bobbing about and coming down
also.

"Oh, dear!" exclaimed the little boy. "I can't wind 'em both in at
once. I wish Russ would come!"

But Russ was still back at Aunt Jo's house, and Laddie, much as he
wanted to save his brother's kite, wanted even more to save his own.

So Laddie let go of the string of his brother's kite, and began to pull
in on his own. As he did so Russ's sank lower and lower, falling like a
leaf, from side to side.

But as Laddie pulled on his cord his kite went higher and higher into
the air, until, getting to a place higher up, where the wind was blowing
stronger, it was out of danger.

But Russ's kite floated lower and lower, and Laddie dared not let go his
own string to pull in his brother's. Just then Russ came running back
with the cord he at last had found.

"Where's my kite?" he cried, as he reached the lot, and did not see his
kite in the air.

"It started to come down, and so did mine, but I couldn't pull 'em
both," said his brother. "I'm sorry, but----"

"Oh, well, maybe I can pull it up," said Russ, who was not going to find
fault with Laddie for what could not be helped. "I'll wind up the
string as fast as I can."

So he did this, and at last he saw his kite come into sight above the
houses in the next street. But the wind, low down, was not strong enough
to carry the kite up again, and Russ saw that it was of no use. His kite
still fluttered from side to side.

"I can't get it up again this way," he said to Laddie. "I've got to pull
it all the way down, and then send it up again. And I'll make it go
terrible high this time, 'cause I've got a lot of string."

"When mine comes down I'm going to send it up higher," said Laddie. But
his kite was still well up in the air.

Russ pulled and pulled on his string, and finally he had his kite where
he could see it. It was floating over the street near the vacant lot,
and Russ was pulling it toward him, when, all of a sudden, something
happened.

A woman, with a large hat on, was walking along the street, right under
Russ's kite. Suddenly the kite swooped down, until the dangling tail
touched the woman's hat. Russ, not seeing what had taken place, kept on
pulling on the string, winding it in. And, of course, you can easily
guess what happened.

"Stop! Stop it, little boy!" called the woman. "Stop pulling on your
kite string!"