while Marmaduke had nine gray marbles--we should say "migs"--one
"chiney," two brown "croakers," one blue "croaker," and one "glassey,"
and his shooter, the "pure," of course. And Jehosophat had ten "migs,"
two "chimneys," one "glassey," two brown "croakers," and one blue one,
and his shooter. But poor little Hepzebiah had only three, counting
all kinds. She began to cry, and rubbed her eyes with her two fists.
But when, after a little, she stopped and looked down, why she had
more marbles than _any_ of the players.

I'll tell you a secret, if you won't tell it to a soul--for that
wouldn't be fair to Marmaduke and Jehosophat, who were trying their
best not to let their right hands know what their left ones were
doing.

Well then, if you won't tell,--when Hepzebiah put her two fists to her
eyes, quick as a wink the Toyman placed three of his marbles in her
pile, and when Marmaduke saw him do that, why he put in four, and
Jehosophat, not to be outdone, slipped in five.

"Better than slipping duck's eggs under the old hen, isn't it?"
whispered Jehosophat to his brother, who agreed with a nod.

And that is the way the little girl came to win the game.

And so all through marble time they played many games, some of them
very close, too, and a few even ties.

However, on one occasion the game didn't turn out so well. That was
the time when Fatty Hamm strolled into the yard.