"Er--Will," interposed Bertram, meekly.

"Oh, and here's a Castleford," cried William, paying no attention to
the interruption. "Marked, too; see? 'D. D. & Co., Castleford.' You know
there isn't much of that ware marked. This is a beauty, too, I think.
You see this pitted surface--they made that with tiny little points set
into the inner side of the mold. The design stands out fine on this.
It's one of the best I ever saw. And, oh--"

"Er--William," interposed Bertram again, a little louder this time. "May
I just say--"

"And did you notice this 'Old Blue'?" hurried on William, eagerly. "Lid
sets down in, you see--that's older than the kind where it sets over the
top. Now here's one--"

"William," almost shouted Bertram, "DINNER IS READY! Pete has sounded
the gong twice already!"

"Eh? Oh, sure enough--sure enough," acknowledged William, with a
regretful glance at his treasures. "Well, we must go, we must go."

"But I haven't seen your stratum at all," demurred Billy to her guide,
as they went down the stairway.

"Then there's something left for to-morrow," promised Bertram; "but
you must remember, I haven't got any beautiful 'Old Blues' and 'black
basalts,' to say nothing of stamps and baggage tags. But I'll make you
some tea--some real tea--and that's more than William has done, with all