In a moment she heard steps and greetings and her father leading his
friend into the house. Then she slipped down the stairs and into the
night. A dozen times she ran up and down the yard, the balloon like a
fettered bird tugging at her wrist.

"I love it as much as little Patience does," she murmured. "Oh, I wish
it was mine."

Finally, she ran out of the gate and up the street to the one fine
house of which the street boasted. She stole up to the door and
fastened the string of the balloon to the door bell, gave the bell a
jerk and fled.

As she ran down the street, a boy, leaning against the gate-post next
her own, cried, "What's the rush, Lydia?"

"Oh, hello, Kent! Did you like the circus?"

"The best ever! You should have taken that ticket I wanted you to.
Didn't cost me anything but carrying water to the elephants."

"I can't take anything I don't pay for. I promised mother. You know
how it is, Kent."

"I guess your mother fixed it so you'd miss lots of good times, all
right---- Now, don't fly off the handle--look, I got a trick. I've
rubbed my baseball with match heads, so's I can play catch at night.
Try it?"

"Gosh, isn't that wonderful!" exclaimed Lydia. The boy, who was a