clamored for an exchange of parts.

"All right," agreed Lina. "Get the key, Billy, and we'll be
the chain-gang."

Billy put his right hand in his pocket but found no key there;
he tried the other pocket with the same success; he felt in his
blouse, he looked in his cap, he jumped up and down, he nearly
shook himself to pieces all without avail; the key had
disappeared as if by magic.

"I berlieve y' all done los' that key," concluded he.

"Maybe it dropped on the ground," said Frances.

They searched the yard over, but the key was not to be found.

"Well, if that ain't just like you, Billy," cried Jimmy, "you
all time perposing to play chain-gang and you all time lose
the key."

Lina grew indignant.

"You proposed this yourself, Jimmy Garner," she said; "we
never would have thought of playing chain-gang but for you."

"It looks like we can't never do anything at all," moaned
Frances, "'thout grown folks 've got to know 'bout it."

"Yes, and laugh fit to pop theirselfs open," said her