"Where does she keep it?" asked Mary Jane.

"Where does who keep what?" replied Mrs. Merrill, "and what is my little
girl doing all this time?"

"I'm watching to see Doris's box of chickens," said Mary Jane, "do you know
where it is?"

"Box of chickens!" exclaimed Mrs. Merrill in amazement, and then she
suddenly realized how Mary Jane had misunderstood her. "Doris has no box of
chickens, dear, she has chicken POX--it's a sickness and Doris will have to
stay in the house for a few days."

"Oh-h-h," said Mary Jane slowly, "so that's why I can't play with her."

"That's why," agreed Mrs. Merrill, "and now what are you going to do?"

"I guess I'll play on the porch."

"I guess _not_" laughed mother, "because it's beginning to rain. I'm afraid
you'll have to play in the nursery. Why not play school?"

"I'm going to," replied Mary Jane, who always made up her mind very
quickly. "I'm going to right now because Alice showed me how." And she
skipped off gayly to the nursery.

There she pulled out every doll she had and set them in a long row on the
floor.