Mary Jane ran around to the back yard and that was the last Mrs. Merrill
saw of her till she called her to get ready for dinner some time later.

Mr. Merrill was late to dinner, but when he came Mary Jane asked him all
the questions that her mother had been unable to answer.

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed he. "Where did you see this robin that you're
talking about?"

"In the front yard and in the back yard," said Mary Jane, "both of them."

"Then I'll venture to guess that it's the very same robin whose nest I
discovered this morning," said Mr. Merrill. "I meant to tell you about it
but was in such a hurry to get away I forgot."

"Oh, did you see his nest?" exclaimed Mary Jane excitedly; "his really
truly for sure nest, Daddah?"

"That I did," replied her father, "and I'll show it to you."

"Let's go now," cried Mary Jane. "Won't you please excuse us, mother?" And
she slipped down from her chair.

"Too late now," said her father, "might as well climb back and finish your
dinner. You can't find a bird's nest after dark--and you can see that it's
almost dark now. You wait till morning and I'll show you that nest first
thing."

"As soon as I'm dressed, Daddah?" asked Mary Jane.