psy, taking a few spasmodic stitches
on a long, white seam; "I'm busy. I can't talk to little boys when I'm
sewing."

"Oh, I guess I don't want anythin'clock, very much," said Winnie, folding
his arms composedly, as if he had seated himself for the day; "I'm five
years old."

Down went Gypsy's work, and a whole handful of pink and white blossoms
came fluttering into Winnie's eyes.

"How am I going to sew?" said Gypsy, despairingly; "you're so exactly in
the right place to be hit. I don't believe Mrs. Surly herself could help
snowballing you."

"Mrs. Surly snowball! Why, I never saw her. Wouldn't it be just funny?"

"Winnie Breynton, _will_ you please to go away?"

"I say, Gypsy,--if you cut off a grasshopper's wings, and frow him in a
milk-pan, what would he do?" remarked Winnie, inclining to metaphysics, as
was Winnie's custom when he wasn't wanted. Gypsy took several severe
stitches, and made no answer.

"Gypsy--if somebody builded a fire inside of me and made steam, couldn't I
draw a train of cars?"

"Look here--Gyp., when a cat eats up a mouse----"

Winnie forgot what he was aiming at, just there, coughed, and began again.

"Samson could have drawed a train of cars, anyway."

"Oh, Winnie Breynton!"

"Well, if he had a steam-leg, he'd be jest as good as an
engine--_wouldn't_ I like to seen him!" Just then a branch struck Winnie's
head with decidedly more emphasis than the handful of blossoms, and Winnie
slid to the ground, and remarked, with dignity, that he was sorry he
couldn't stay longer. He would come again another day. About half way up
the walk, he stopped, and turned leisurely round.

"Oh--Gypsy! Mother want's to know where's the key of the china-closet she
let you have. She's in a great hurry. That's what I come down for; I
s'posed there was something or nuther."

"Why, Winnie Breynton! and you've been sitting there all this----"

"Where's the key?" interrupted Winnie, severely; "mother hadn't ought to
be kept waitin'clock."

"It's up-stairs in--in, I guess in my slippers," said Gypsy, stopping to
think.

_"Slippers!"_

"Yes. I was afraid I should forget to put it up, so I put it in my
slipper, because I should feel it, and remember it. Then I took off the
slippers, and that was the last I thought of it."

"It was very careless," said Winnie, with a virtuous air. It was
noticeable that he took good care to be out of hearing of Gypsy's reply.

Gypsy returned to her seam, and the appl