stones
lying round everywhere, enough to pave the avenue. There are not many
women who would stand that sort of thing, are there, now?"

As Mr. Laurie spoke with a merry look in his eyes, the boys laughed and
nudged one another, for it was evident that some one told tales out of
school, else how could he know of the existence of these inconvenient
treasures.

"Where can we put them, then?" said Demi, crossing his legs and leaning
down to argue the question.

"In the old carriage-house."

"But it leaks, and there isn't any window, nor any place to put things,
and it's all dust and cobwebs," began Nat.

"Wait till Gibbs and I have touched it up a bit, and then see how
you like it. He is to come over on Monday to get it ready; then
next Saturday I shall come out, and we will fix it up, and make the
beginning, at least, of a fine little museum. Every one can bring
his things, and have a place for them; and Dan is to be the head man,
because he knows most about such matters, and it will be quiet, pleasant
work for him now that he can't knock about much."

"Won't that be jolly?" cried Nat, while Dan smiled all over his face and
had not a word to say, but hugged his book, and looked at Mr. Laurie
as if he thought him one of the greatest public benefactors that ever
blessed the world.

"Shall I go round again, sir?" asked Peter, as they came to the gate,
after two slow turns about the half-mile triangle.

"No, we must be prudent, else we can't come again. I must go over the
premises, take a look at the carriage-house, and have a little talk with
Mrs. Jo before I go;" and, having deposited Dan on his sofa to rest and
enjoy his book, Uncle Teddy went off to have a frolic with the lads who
were raging about the place in search of him. Leaving the little girls
to mess up-stairs, Mrs. Bhaer sat down by Dan, and listened to his eager
account of the drive till the flock returned, dusty, warm, and much
excited about the new museum, which every one considered the most
brilliant idea of the age.

"I always wanted to endow some sort of an institution, and I am going to
begin with this," said Mr. Laurie, sitting down on a stool at Mrs. Jo's
feet.

"You have endowed one already. What do you call this?" and Mrs. Jo
pointed to the happy-faced lads, who had camped upon the floor about
him.

"I call it a very promising Bhaer-garden, and I'm proud to be a member
of it. Did you know I was the head boy in this school?" he asked,
t