a long time; but one did pay it a visit just then, and he tossed
the boy two nuts, and asked him a question at the same time. "What
is your name?"

The big brown eyes looked up for an instant, as if to learn whether
the question was asked in good faith, and then their owner said,
as he carefully picked apart another nut, "Toby Tyler."

"Well, that's a queer name."

"Yes, I s'pose so, myself; but, you see, I don't expect that's the
name that belongs to me. But the fellers call me so, an' so does
Uncle Dan'l."

"Who is Uncle Daniel?" was the next question. In the absence of
other customers the man seemed disposed to get as much amusement
out of the boy as possible.

"He hain't my uncle at all; I only call him so because all the boys
do, an' I live with him."

"Where's your father and mother?"

"I don't know," said Toby, rather carelessly. "I don't know much
about 'em, an' Uncle Dan'l says they don't know much about me.
Here's another bad nut; goin' to give me two more?"

The two nuts were given him, and he said, as he put them in his
pocket and turned over and over again those which he held in his
hand: "I shouldn't wonder if all of these was bad. S'posen you