"Foolishness!" Mrs. Serafini persisted, unwilling to give in.

Yet Rose-Ellen, playing with Baby Pepe, discovered that her hot
old swaddlings had been taken off at last. Perhaps Mrs. Serafini
was learning something from the nurses after all.

"If you could show me the rest of my aflabet, Rose-Ellen," Jimmie
begged, "I could teach Pedro."

"But, goodness!" Rose-Ellen exclaimed. "You never would let us
teach you anything, Jimmie. What's happened to you?"

"Well, it's different. I got to keep ahead of Pedro," he
explained, and every night he learned a new lesson.


[Illustration: Rose-Ellen teaching Jimmie]


Of all the family, though, Jimmie was the only contented one.
Most of the trouble centered round Dick. He was fourteen now,
and not only his voice, but his way, was changing. Through the
day he picked hops, but when evening came, he was off and away.

"He's like the Irishman's flea," Grandma scolded, "and that gang
he's running with are young scalawags."

"Dick hasn't a lick of sense," Daddy agreed worriedly. "I'll have