WONDERFUL NEWS

Miss Alicia Pompret began putting back in the glass-doored closet the
pieces of rare china that had the blue lion in a circle of gold and the
initials "J.W." on the bottom of each piece. Nan and Bert watched her,
and saw how carefully her white hands took up each plate and cup.

"A hundred dollars!" murmured Bert again. "I'd like to have all that
money. I'd buy--er--I'd buy a goat!"

"A goat!" exclaimed Miss Pompret.

"Yes," went on Bert. "Freddie nearly thought one once, when we went to
the big city, but mother wouldn't let him keep it. Now we're back home;
and if I had a hundred dollars I'd buy a goat."

"Well, if you can find my sugar bowl and pitcher I'll be glad to pay you
a hundred dollars," said Miss Pompret with a smile at Bert. "But I don't
know that I'd like a goat," she added.

"Do you really mean you'd pay a hundred dollars for two china dishes?"
asked Nan, her eyes big with wonder.

"Yes, my dear," said Miss Pompret. "Of course if they were just two
ordinary dishes, such as these," and she pointed to some on a side
table, "they would not be worth a hundred dollars. But I need just those
two pieces--the pitcher and sugar bowl--to make my rare set of china
complete again. So if you children should happen to come across them,
bring them to me and I'll pay you a hundred dollars. But, of course,"