in the rain-barrel!"

Mrs. Wiggs looked exasperated. "I never was havin' a good time in my
life that one of my childern didn't git in that rain-barrel!"

"Well, go on an' finish," said Miss Hazy, to whom the story had lost
nothing by repetition.

"Ther' ain't much more," said Mrs. Wiggs, picking up her bucket.
"Our hoss had two legs an' his neck broke, but Jim never had a
scratch. A policeman took him to No. 6 Injun House, an' Pete Jenkins
jes' treated him like he'd been his own son. I was done cured then
an' there fer my feelin' aginst Pete."

"Ma!" again came the warning cry across the yard.

"All right, I'm comin'! Good-by, Miss Hazy; you have a eye to Cuby
till we git our shed ready. He ain't as sperited as he looks."

And, with a cordial hand-shake, Mrs. Wiggs went cheerfully away to
administer chastisement to her erring offspring.



CHAPTER VI

A THEATER PARTY

"The play, the play's the thing!"