knocking itself into a hundred pieces.

"Mine cracious, look at dot!" burst out Hans Mueller. "Mine
Gretchen kite vos busted up -- und I spent me feefteen cents on
him alreety!" and a roar went up.

"Never mind, Hans," said Dick. "You can help sail the Katydid.
She will pull strong enough for two, I am sure."

The Katydid was a wonderful affair of silver and gold which Dick
had constructed on ideas entirely his own. It went up slowly but
surely and proved to be as good a kite as the majority.

A number of girls living in the neighborhood, bad heard of the
kite-flying contests, and now they came up, Dora Stanhope with the
rest, accompanied by her two cousins, Grace and Nellie Laning. As
my old readers may guess, Dick was very attentive to Dora, and his
brothers were scarcely less so to the two Laning sisters.

"And how is your mother?" Dick asked of Dom, during the course of
their conversation.

"She is much better," replied Dora, "although she is still weak
from her sickness."

"Does she ever mention Josiah Crabtree?"

"She mentioned him once. She said that she had dreamed of him and
of you, Nick."