"My dear!" protested Mrs. Burgoyne, between laughter and tears,
"Ellen used his old one up, cleaning out their paint-boxes!" And she
put her warm hand on his shoulder, and said, "Don't be a goose,
Barry!" as unselfconsciously as a sister might. "Where are you two
boys going, Billy?" she asked, going back to her own desk.

"'Cool," Billy said.

"He's going over to the kindergarten. I've got some work I ought to
finish here," Barry supplemented." I'll take you across the street,
Infant, I'll be right back, Sidney."

"But, Barry, why are you working now?" asked the lady a few minutes
later when he took his place at his desk.

"Oh, don't you worry," he answered, smiling; "I love it. The thought
of old Rogers' face when he opens his paper every morning does me
good, I'm writing this appeal for the new reservoir now, and I've
got to play up the Flower Festival."

"I'm not interested in the Flower Festival," said Mrs. Burgoyne
good-naturedly, "and the minute it's over I'm going to start a
crusade for a girls' clubhouse in Old Paloma. Conditions over there
for the girls are something hideous. But I suppose we'll have to go
on with the Festival for the present. It's a great occasion, I
suppose?"

"Oh, tremendous! The Governor's coming, and thousands of visitors
always pour into town. We'll have nearly a hundred carriages in the
parade, simply covered with flowers, you know. It's lovely! You wait