and some fruit, and asked him to come again, and he promised, and I lay
back and heard his mule bells jingling up the path. It seemed so nice
and peaceful, and everybody was so kind to me, that I felt lumpy inside,
especially when I thought of Uncle Burt coming.

But would he be angry with me for bringing germs to his house, and right
close to Aunty May? I asked Aunty May what she thought, and she said
Uncle Burt would agree with her that I really couldn't help it, and that
he wouldn't blame me, especially if she handed me over all right.

So we went to work on jellies and things and tried to get well, as fast
as anything before he came.

One afternoon Aunty May said to me, "Billy, I think you're strong enough
to go back to the house now. We've got rid of all the germs and the
sickness in this nice big white tent, and now, my little soldier, we'll
go back to barracks and wait for our Commanding Officer."

We packed up my books and papers and went down the path to the house,
but it wasn't the same house any more.

It was bigger, and all around it ran a wide piazza, and on it were big
wicker chairs, and Aunty May put me in one of them, and asked me how I
liked it. And I said it was lovely, and it was. Inside there were more
rooms than before and a bathroom with a big shiny tub and running water,
and while it was a country house still, it was much more like a
city house.

Aunty May said, "Do you think Aunty Edith will like it?" and I said yes;
then she said, "Do you think a sick soldier would like to get well on