round the triangle without
stopping, a star for Emil, who put on airs because he studied astronomy,
and, best of all, an omnibus for Franz, whose great delight was to drive
the family bus. Stuffy got a fat pig, and the little folks had birds,
and cats, and rabbits, with black currant eyes.

"Now I must go. Where is my Goldilocks? Mamma will come flying out to
get her if I'm not back early," said Uncle Teddy, when the last crumb
had vanished, which it speedily did, you may be sure.

The young ladies had gone into the garden, and while they waited till
Franz looked them up, Jo and Laurie stood at the door talking together.

"How does little Giddy-gaddy come on?" he asked, for Nan's pranks amused
him very much, and he was never tired of teasing Jo about her.

"Nicely; she is getting quite mannerly, and begins to see the error of
her wild ways."

"Don't the boys encourage her in them?"

"Yes; but I keep talking, and lately she has improved much. You saw how
prettily she shook hands with you, and how gentle she was with Bess.
Daisy's example has its effect upon her, and I'm quite sure that a few
months will work wonders."

Here Mrs. Jo's remarks were cut short by the appearance of Nan tearing
round the corner at a break-neck pace, driving a mettlesome team of four
boys, and followed by Daisy trundling Bess in a wheelbarrow. Hat off,
hair flying, whip cracking, and barrow bumping, up they came in a cloud
of dust, looking as wild a set of little hoydens as one would wish to
see.

"So, these are the model children, are they? It's lucky I didn't bring
Mrs. Curtis out to see your school for the cultivation of morals
and manners; she would never have recovered from the shock of this
spectacle," said Mr. Laurie, laughing at Mrs. Jo's premature rejoicing
over Nan's improvement.

"Laugh away; I'll succeed yet. As you used to say at College, quoting
some professor, 'Though the experiment has failed, the principle remains
the same,'" said Mrs. Bhaer, joining in the merriment.

"I'm afraid Nan's example is taking effect upon Daisy, instead of the
other way. Look at my little princess! she has utterly forgotten her
dignity, and is screaming like the rest. Young ladies, what does
this mean?" and Mr. Laurie rescued his small daughter from impending
destruction, for the four horses were champing their bits and curvetting
madly all about her, as she sat brandishing a great whip in both hands.

"We're having a race, and I beat,"