Mandy reached over to take the handkerchiefs from Liza Ann, and at
that moment the little colored girl saw something red and yellow among
them.

"Oh, what a funny handkowitch!" she called, and the next moment they
all saw the Calico Clown. Mandy took him out of the bundle.

"Oh, Mammy! I want him!" cried Jim.

"Nope! He's mine! I saw him, fustest!" exclaimed Liza Ann, and she
reached for the Calico Clown.

"Wait a minute, now, chilluns. Wait a minute!" said Mandy, and she
held the toy close to her breast. "Dish yeah don't belongs to us."

"But it come in de basket of wash, Mammy!" said Jim. "Why can't we
keep it?"

"'Cause tain't belongin' to us," answered his mother. "I can jest
guess how it come in. Mirabell or Arnold, dey done drop it in dere
Daddy's pocket, an' he didn't know nothin' about its bein' in. He took
it out wif his hankowitches, and put it in mah basket of wash. An' I
brung it home. My! My! It suah is funny how it happened!"

She held the Calico Clown up and looked at him.

"Oh, ain't he jest grand!" cried Jim, his eyes shining with delight.

"He suah is a gay fellow all right," said Mandy.