my hat so I can go."

But before this Mr. Martin, who was nearest the door, had opened it, and
in came a boy about as old as Teddy, though without the curly locks of
that little lad.

"Can I have the pigeons?" asked the new boy, taking off his cap and
making a little bow to Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Watson and Daddy Martin. "Uncle
Toby said I could have 'em if you folks didn't want 'em, and I've been
waiting for you to come. I just saw you get here."

"Yes! Yes! Take the pigeons! Take any of the animals you want!" begged
Mrs. Martin. "I don't see what in the world we are going to do with these
animals!"

"Oh, keep Tip and Top--the dogs!" begged Teddy.

"And Snuff, the cat!" added Janet.

"I 'ike monkey if he don't pull my cap off," said Trouble. "'Et's keep
him!"

"And the white mice and rats wouldn't be much bother," went on Teddy.

"We never had a parrot that I can remember," cried Janet. "I could feed
him, Mother."

"The alligator doesn't make much noise," Ted said.

"Dear me! We'll end up by keeping them all, I see!" laughed the father of
the Curlytops. "That is, all but the pigeons," he added quickly, as he
saw a look of disappointment on the face of the new boy. "You may have
them, since Uncle Toby promised them to you."

"The pigeons are all I want," said the boy, whose name was Bob Nelson.
"My mother won't let me have any of the other pets. And, anyhow, I have
a dog and a cat. Could I get the pigeons now? I've got a basket and they
are so tame I can pick 'em up. They know me. I used to help Uncle Toby
feed 'em."

"Yes, you may get them," Mrs. Martin said. "We'll get rid of a few of the
pets in that way. But what we are to do with the others, I'm sure I don't
know."

"You'd better keep 'em," advised Mrs. Watson, who was now almost ready to
go. "Uncle Toby wouldn't like it, I'm sure, if you didn't take care of
his pets."

"Oh, I wouldn't, for the world, have anything happen to them, as he was
so fond of them and kind to them," said the mother of the Curlytops. "But
we could sell them to some animal store, and, as my husband says, give
the money to a home for children. Uncle Toby would like that."

"Yes, he was very fond of children and animals," said the housekeeper, as
she seemed about to leave. "It's a pity he never had any of his own--any
children, I mean," she quickly added. "He did have enough animals. You'd
better keep 'em, your children seem fond of 'em," she added.

"Oh, the Curlytops love an