There was a nice ending to it too, although the dandy Rocket ball was
lost in the old crow's nest. For, when he told them about it all at
the supper-table that night, Father turned to the Toyman, and,
reaching into his pockets, where some money jingled, said:--

"So the home-team won, did they? though they lost the ball? Well,
Frank, there are some more 'dandy Rockets' where that came from,
aren't there?"

The Toyman was quite sure there were, and Father added,--

"And that baseball glove, that big catcher's mitt that Marmaduke
always wanted--do you 'spouse that's still in the store?"

Again the Toyman seemed rather hopeful, and the promise was fulfilled
on the following Saturday. And many a time the hard Rocket ball and
lots of other balls, too, thumped in that big leather mitt.




VII

THE FAIRY LAMP


Once in about every so often, it seems, little boys just _have_
to get sick. Sometimes it is their own fault; sometimes the fault of
the weather; and sometimes there doesn't seem to be any reason at